frequently to the test and to the tormentors They loved not their lives to the death their liberties to bands and suffered joyfully the spoyling of their goods Rev. 12.11 Act. 20.23,24 Hebr. 10.34 What mean these subterfuges and shifting fetches that shyness and straitning fear which so hold or oppress you Come shew your selves men if not Saints Yea be followers of them who through faith and patience do inherit the promises Hebr. 6.12 III. Look you to what is past of your own selves Remember that time when you were without Christ Oh! How long How long did ye outstand his calls oppose his commands cause and concerns in the world oppress your own Spirits and offend his holy Spirit Brethren should not the time past suffice you should you not study to repair his honor and right holiness as much as in you lieth 1 Pet 4.1 Rom. 6 19. If you are indeed in Christ let your strict confessions now make some amends for your loose conversations then Though you cannot intrinsecally repair his honor you may and should extrinsecally Paul was not so eminent a persecutor but he willingly becomes as eminent a professor when the power of transforming grace hath once past upon him He had lived more adversly to Christ then all before his conversion and labors more abundantly for Christ then they all after his conversion 1 Cor. 1.5 9,10 4. § Fourthly look you forward Oh! how will the confession of Christ be reciprocated and rewarded How will the contrary thereunto be reciprocated and revenged I. First How will your confession of Christ be reciprocated and rewarded confesse him and he will confesse you confesse him on earth and he will confesse you in heaven confesse him before men in your day end he will confesse you before men before Angels and before his father in his day Mat. 10.32 Rev. 3.5 Luke 12.8 Plead his cause and he will plead yours vindicate His Name and he will vindicate Yours contend for him and he will contend for you and contend against them that contend against you Psal 35.51 Lam. 3.58 Isa 49.25 51.22 Sirs how would you that Christ should carry it towards you when he cometh in his glory Would you be cleared and confessed by him then would you that he acquit acknowledg and approve you then As ever you would be found on his side then with the glorified comprehensors in patriâ fall in with his side now amongst the gracious Confessors in viâ II. Secondly how will the contrary be reciprocated and revenged Deny him and he will deny you deny him before men on earth and he will deny you before the Angels of God and before his Father in heaven 2 Tim. 2.12 Mat. 10.33 Luke 12.9 Are you ashamed of him he also will be ashamed of you If you are ashamed of him and his words in this adulterous and sinful generation he also will be ashamed of you when he cometh in his own glory and in his Fathers and in the holy Angels Mark 8.38 Luke 9.26 He will admit no claim of theirs to him then who will not assert his claime to them now but will abandon them for ever with an I never knew you Mat. 7.22,23 Luke 13.27 5. § Fifthly look you inward I. First for this are all those holy principles from God imparted to you and his holy and pure Law imprinted within you Psalm 40.8,9,10 There is not one talent but is to trade with Holy faith hope love c. are all for exercise and imployment and so for evidence to the praise and honour of the giver though not for popular ostentation by the user All the fruits of righteousness are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil. 1.11 True grace is compared to light to fire c. which are not only communicative of their vertues but carry a self-evidence Love and faith are not without their evident works and labour and become effectual by the acknowledging every good thing Rom. 13.12 Psal 39.3 1 Thes 1.3 Philem. 5.6 Can you then believe in Christ with your hearts and not confesse Christ with your mouths These two are connexed Rom. 10.9,10 Can there be hope in you and you abide wholly carelesse to render a reason of it when thereunto required and the object of your hope will be thereby also honoured 1 Pet. 3.15 II. Secondly upon this the holy presence and inhabitation of God is insured to you Whosoever shall believe and confesse that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God 1 John 4.15 O sweet promise O the signal priviledge of sincere professors God and the godly confessour have a mutual cohabitation with one another a mutual inhabitation in one another Every new act of your holy confession will be a new advance in this happy communion Now ordinarily is the most soul enriching intercourse with God and the most soul-ravishing illapses from God even to joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.6,7,8 Now it was that Stephen saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God And that he said to others Behold I see the heavens opened c. Now when the showers of stones like a storm of haile fell upon this holy Confessour who was yet full of the holy Ghost and of power Act. 7.55,56 III. Thirdly to this all those holy relations whereinto you are called ingage you You are his subjects his servants nay his friends his brethren his bride Who should witnesse to and for him if you do not You are my witnesses saith the Lord Is 43.10 Sirs you are neerest related to him of all the world May I not say to you in the words of Pilate Behold your King Treason of the deepest dye to say with those wicked Jews Away with him away with him and crucifie him rather then adventure to confesse him Iohn 19.14,15 Behold your master your friend that calls you not henceforth servants i. e. comparatively not so much servants as friends for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth But saith he I have called you friends John 15.15 What! and yet loath to confesse him Where is the loyalty of a servant Where is the love and ingenuity of a friend Behold your elder brother one that is not ashamed to call you brethren though lifted up to the throne far above all principality and power Heb. 2.11,12 And are you ashamed to call him brother that yet lie upon the dung-hill In short Behold your beloved husband you are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones This is a great mystery How should your thoughts be taken up in expatiating touching his honour and your happinesse How should your tongues be tuned to the imblazoning of his excellencies How should you tell every one that asketh you in the language of the spouse Cant. 5.9 ad finem He is the chiefest among ten thousand he is altogether lovely This is my beloved and this is my friend O ye daughters of
confessor that is one inwardly and that the confession to Salvation which is of the heart and of the Spirit whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2 28,29 10.9,10 They are the onely Citizens of Sion which is above who speak the truth in their heart Psal 15.1,2 1. How are you affected towards Christ then and to his truths and goodness which you confess You have it may be received the truth in the light of it but have you received the truth in the love of it Otherwise you cannot be saved but your end will be to be damned who take pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.10,12 Saving profession loves the truth it doth profess and that not onely because of the truth as most suitable to the understanding but for the goodness of it as sanctifying the will as staying and limiting the affections from sin and about sensual objects Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy servant love it saith David Psal 119.140 Let conscience speak Can you say with him Oh how I love thy Laws My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross therefore I love thy testimonies Psal 119.97,167,119 2. How do you appretiate Christ and his truths which you confess Desire you to know nothing so much as Christ and him crucified Do you count all but loss and dung or dogs meat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in comparison of the excellency of him as your Lord and that you may win or enjoy Christ and be found in him 1 Cor. 2.2 Phil. 3.7,8,9 The pious confessor prefers Christ in the esteem of his judgement and in the election of his will to all creatures to all comforts yea not onely so prefers his pleasant communion but his precepts and commands How sweet are Christs words yea sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb Psal 119.103 19.10 Can you then in your integrity affirm before him with that holy confessor Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever they are the rejoycing of my heart I love thy commandments above gold yea above much fine gold and esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right Psal 119.111,127,128 19.10 Thirdly Whence ariseth it Is it from sanctifying the Lord God in your hearts within or from strength of arguments or secular attractives without Is it from internal principles or external perswasives Special confession hath its spring in the conscience it is a stream and issue from sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts 1 Pet. 3.15,16 The language and life without are from the Law within 'T is the renewed minde transformed into the likeness of truth within that runs forth by the mouth and members without If you have indeed learned Christ and have been taught the truth as it is in Jesus you will have put on the New man as well as profess new matters Psa 40.8,9,10 Eph. 4 20-25 Whence ariseth your confession then Do you believe and therefore speak Doth the confession of your Faith in Christ outwardly come from the closing of your heart by Faith with Christ as the Lord your righteousness inwardly This is the onely confession that is consequenced with Salvation Rom. 10.9,10 2 Cor 4.13 Fourthly How is it acted or put forth In what manner See Quest 8 What motions or acts of grace are in it Conference is an act of Reason as you are men but confession is or should be an act of Religion as you are new men What religious habits then are at work herein what graces are put into act what love to your Saviour what love to Souls what Faith in what fear of Christ c 'T is Reason put into act that discriminates your speech from a Parrot that speaks some words good or bad as he is taught as well as you But here wants the discourse of reason and so 't is a bruitish act in this Bird notwithstanding Brethren so 't is Religion put into act that discriminates your speakings of Christ from the painted hypocrites that can say as good things of Christ as you can do but there want the deliberations and acts of Religion herein and cannot therefore if materially yet not formally be called a Religious confession of him while their hearts are removed from him and he is far from their reins They make mention of the Name of the Lord but not in truth or in righteousness Isa 29.13 Jer. 12.2 Isa 48.1 Fifthly What are your ayms by it You should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father Phil 2.11 Special grace seeks his glory upmost and therefore confesseth both his sin and his Saviour that he may give glory to the Lord his God Josh 7.19 Phil. 1.20 What seek you then what is it your souls first intend by it and do most fervently desire should be the issue of it Is it your glory or the glory of God and growth of his Gospel that you principally design by it Oh! how can you believe and therefore how confess savingly and obedientially who receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only and while you love the praise of men more then the praise of God Joh. 5.44 12.42,43 The most splendid confessions by the mouth with the most delicious flourishes of Rhetorick or most demonstrative furniture of Logick yea the most cheerful sufferings of Martyrdom which arise not from Charity that disposeth the Soul to intend God chiefly profit nothing to salvation 1 Cor. 13.2,3 But if this be your ultimate end that by testifying of the Gospel of the grace of God he may be glorified by you and his Christ may be magnified in you If your main business be not applause with men but to approve your selves to him and to advance his concernments if it be in obedience to his Government and in order to his Glory you have then no cause to be ashamed of your confessions or afraid of your insincerity but should wear the comforts of them in your own consciences here and they shall be to you for a crown and glory when you shall be confessed of and by Christ hereafter Acts 20.24 Phil. 1.20 Isa 45 23-25 with Rom. 14.11 Mat. 10.32 QUEST V. Before whom are we to confess Christ VVHether we may or should confess Christ before God his Father and before the holy Angels as he also will confess us is not the intent of this Question but before what men we should confess Christ Here know that 1 Men are of a different consideration according to their different capacities and conditions Some men are only in a private capacity others are in a publick capacity and authority 2 And as this Authority is twofold either 1. Civil or 2. Spiritual and Ecclesiastical So also this publick capacity of men may be differenced into that which is 1. Civil and 2. that which is Spiritual and Ecclesiastical In that capacity in their circuits limits
daily influx of divine help Thou hadst need be strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Run to him then in every difficulty repose thy self upon him in every duty Draw strength from him that thou mayest declare the sufficiency that is in and with him Blessed is the man O Lord whose strength is in thee Col. 1.11 Eph. 3.16 Psal 84.5 let me especially commend unto you the spirit of faith of patience and the spirit of prayer 1 Get and keep up a spirit of faith Oh the preciousness and power of faith which the faithful Professor doth better feel then speak of Brethren be strong in faith giving glory to God as Abraham was and did Rom 4.20 It was through the power of faith that pious Timothy and those precious Confessours Hebr. 11. professed so good a Profession before men and of God 1 Tim. 6.12 Heb. 11. throughout Faith will engage God with you and you for God Psal 82.1,2 62.1.2 c. As ever you would finish your course then and fulfil your capacity calling and Christian Confession Keep the faith 2 Tim. 4.7 Faith will hold forth the Confession He that beleeves in Christ with the heart will be breathing out his knowledge of Christ by the mouth I beleeved therefore have I spoken saith David We also beleeve and therefore speak saith Paul Let faith but command your thoughts and it will soon carry your tongues after it Rom. 10.10 2 Cor. 4.13 Psal 16.10 Faith will hold fast the Confession also even where Satan dwells and when the Saints are sacrificed and slain Rev. 2.13 The grace of faith will not let go the doctrine of faith whatever comes of it but continues the soul grounded setled and immoved 2 Tim. 1.13 Col. 1.23 Let the world oppose faith will overcome and be at length too hard for all adversaries This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1 Iohn 5.4,5 Once more Faith will uphold the Confessors 'T is by faith they stand and are established They are kept through faith 1 Cor. 11.20 Col. 2.7 1 Pet. 1.5 Brethren keep the faith and it will keep you if this stand you stand and are safe if this fail you fall and without faith you must needs faint and swoon away Look to your faith then be sound in the doctrine of faith be sincere in the grace of faith Here is that must quench temptations and keep you up under tribulations If you have not a sound faith you will surely turn Apostates as Demas and others did 1 Keep up the acts of faith A lazie habit will not preserve you It was by faith as in act and exercise that they did and suffered so great things Heb. 11. 'T is said the just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Oh! make a life of it If this live thou shalt live also But if this lie dead and in the habit only the labours of love and patience of hope will be dead also and if there be Profession left 't will be but as a noisom carcass in the Nostrils of God if not of man also Act faith then and to the uttermost An Active faith is of an unspeakable advantage See the eminent and enriching effects thereof in those excellent Confessours What did they do and indure or rather what did they not do and endure through an active and acted faith Heb. 11.32 ad finem What is the evil whereby Satan or sinners would fright you off from confessing Christ Faith in act can and will shew you a greater evil They can shew you a prison a stake an halter and other torments But faith can shew you an hell shew you Tophet shew you torments beyond ease beyond exemption beyond end What is the good whereby they would flatter you from your Confession Faith can tell you of everlasting treasures of eternal pleasures of endless peace and boundless joyes that neither eye hath seen nor eare heard nor heart conceive Yea and that afflictions work glory light afflictions a weight of glory afflictions for a moment an eternal glory yea an exceeding a more exceeding a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 ad finem Stir up and strengthen faith then and keep it upon the wheel of action An unacted faith is accounted as no faith or at best but a very little faith by our blessed Lord if you compare these Scriptures Luke 8.35 with Mar. 4.40 Mat. 28.26 'T is of none or very little acceptance with God of none or very little avail for our good 2 Keep up specially the adherence and assurance of faith The Adherence of faith This knits the heart of the holy Confessor with Christ in an indissoluble league If he liveth it shall be with Christ If he dieth it shall be in Christ Thus faith hath espoused Christs interest to him and his own to Christ Christs cause is his cause Christs concernments are his concernments and there cannot be such persons or principles as are friends or enemies to Christ but this soule counts them his friends and his enemies according to the degree of light and knowledge which he hath When the temporarie Professor doth kiss and part from him now this true Confessor eleaveth firmest unto and claspeth fastest about him Act. 11.23 Iosh 23.8 No exigence no exile no threats no tortures no distress no not to death it self can take off the faith of adherence from its testimony to his beloved and blessed Iesus The soul resolves to live his Saint or to die his Martyr Heb. 11.35 38. Dan. 3.17,18 Those troubles which now loosen him from other comforts do yet bind him stronger to his only Christ Act. 21.13 Phil. 1.21 Keep up the Assurance of faith likewise Oh! the comforts courage and constancy that this will furnish you with Who can be afraid of sufferings that at the same time is assured of salvation afraid to part with earth for confessing that is assured of heaven upon confessing afraid to breath out his natural life in it that is assured to exchange it immediately for a better for an eternal life upon it when he is sure to exchange a filthy prison for his Fathers Presence his standing at mans bar for sitting upon Gods Bench c. Well Christians would you hold fast the Profession of your faith without wavering Draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Hold fast your confidence and you will hold fast your confession Col. 2.2 Heb. 10.22,23 Are your spiritual states at an uncertainty sit not down therein But give diligence to the full assurance of hope make your calling and election sure For he that doth these things shall never faile Heb. 6.11 2 Pet. 1.10,11 II. 2 Get and keep up a spirit of patience Brethren you have need of patience both for establishing your Profession and enduring persecution and for expecting the Promises Heb. 10.32 ad finem Take heed keep patience not only in habit but in
riches to an eye of faith and these are but loss and dung to be laid in the other scale against him Hebrews 11.26 Philippians 3.8 And let me add that he that seeks these things more then Christ and will preserve them rather then profess him when his interest calls for it is the likeliest man in the whole world to lose both him and them and his own soul whereas he that subordinates them to Christ and will rather part with them then not profess him is the likeliest to save both him and them Yea and to gain by his losses if not the same in kinde and in the letter yet in value or rather in the better an hundred-fold for one Luke 9 24,25,26 and Matthew 10.39 19.28,29 3 You must deny your self-wisdom also This is foolishness with God and vanity as to your eternal good 1 Corinthians 3.18,19,20 Therefore though I should call you to the holy wisdom that looks at God upmost yet I must charge you that you cease from your own wisdom and that you leane not to your own understanding Proverbs 23.4 3.5,6,7 1. Cease from the designs and dictates of this wisdom which subordinates piety to policy God to mammon godliness to gain heaven to earth the Confessions of your Savior to the concernments of your selves This wisdom is not from above but is earthly sensual devillish Such as God hath made foolishness and will manifestly disappoint and destroy and that for ever James 3.15 1 Cor. 1.19,20 2. Cease from the directions of this wisdome in departure from Gods word and from thy work If it suggest other Salvoes from Confession then the Scripture owns and countenanceth check it with a Be not wise above what is written be not wise in thy own conceit 1 Cor. 4.6 Rom. 12.16 If it saith Better sin then suffer better turn then burn better to dissemble or deny then die better strain a point in profession then starve in prison better trust God with my Soul in complying to the World then trust men with my state in continuing faithful to his word This thy way is thy folly and will surely issue in damnation finally Psal 49.13 Isai 47.10,11 Rom. 3.8 Sect. 2. Secondly Set your souls to it ingage thy soul within and this will ingage thy speech without set your hearts and this will actuate your speech The word of Christ in your heart will be as a burning fire shut up in your bones you will be weary with forbearing and cannot still or smother it so but it will blaze forth Jer. 30.21 Deut. 32.46 Jer. 20.9 Oh if your hearts were but boyling with and indicting of good matters within they would soon boil over into the sequacious members without You would be speaking of the things which concern the King and your tongues would be the pens as of ready writers Psalm 45.1 Set your understandings then your wills and your affections to this work 1. Set your understandings and consciences to this work Unless thou know Christ in thy minde how canst thou confess him with thy mouth Know him well and thou art not like to confess him ill Make me O Lord to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works Psalm 119.27 Understanding is a well-spring of life to him that hath it and from his lips run the streams and violets of wisdom Prov. 16.22,23 13.10 1. Let these compare circumstances among themselves and confer them with the sacred ends which God hath charged you to intend Here let Christian prudence and conscience hold the ballance with an even hand Discuss the matters freely by and determine them faithfully according to the Rules already given you and I doubt not but you will discern your duty and discern your liberty and be directed upon each emergency when this confession will be of best expediencie for the edifying of your Brother on earth and for the glorifying of your Father in heaven 1 Cor. 6.12 10.23 Secondly Let them consider seriously Hearken Oh daughter and consider This is the Churches call from Christ her Saviour Psalm 45.10 If you will not consider how shall you confess Consideration is the in-let to and will induce confession and continuance in well-doing Hebr. 3.1 12.3 All men shall fear and shall declare the works of God saith the Psalmist Why so For they shall wisely consider of his doings Psalm 64.9 Know therefore this day in thy heart and consider in thy heart What an object is now before thee what an office or obligation is now upon thee what an opportunity is now presented thee at thy peril if thou pass them by it would be worse then bruitish disingenuity Deut. 4.39 Psalm 50.22 Isai 1.3,4 Thirdly Commune with your selves Self-communing is a ready step to sound confession The want of that infers also the want of this Hos 7.1,2 Jer. 5,23,24 1. Then be frequent in self reflections Return often upon your own Consciences as ever you would be ready to this open confession of Jesus Say What have I done and am now doing Have I asserted the Cause acknowledged the concerns and attended the confession of my Lord Jesus or have I declined denied dissembled c. Remember your former bold appearances for and attestations to Christ and repent and do your first works Rev. 2.5 3.3 Remember else your former backwardness and averseness and now repair his honour and your homage 1 Peter 4.2,3 As long as you will not reflect and say What have I done it is never like to be right whatsoever you either say or do Jer. 8.5,6 2.23 2. Be frequent in self-reasonings also Argue out thy own inward averseness Why art thou so cast down Why art thou so cold Oh my Soul Why so loth Why doest so lagge behind What reason is there for such recesses by thee who hast such a Redeemer and who hopest for such a Reward VVhy art thou so averse why so afraid and so ashamed in the matters which so highly concern Gods actual glory and thy own eternal good Argue of thy outward awkwardness and to a more overt appearance Should such a man as I flee fail or faint that have such a Christ such a cause such a covenant and hope for such a Crown such a Kingdom such consequences I that am so capitulated so circumstanced so commanded c. Argue down others advices and assertions should I hearken to men more then to my Maker should I accept and attend their counsels more then his commands then his communion should I preserve my self by provoking my Saviour should I lose my soul that I may keep my state c. Fourthly Close sincerely or you will never be found Confessors He that will baffle with the dictates of his own Conscience will never be brought to the difficulties of an open confession but will surely shipwrack both that and this 1 Tim. 1.19 Attend the intimations and items of Conscience inlightned by Scriptures Act up to its impresses Are you pressed and bound in
spirit as Paul sometimes was Do not oppress or stifle it but satisfie such bonds and obligations of Conscience as he did testifying both to Jews and Gentiles That Jesus was the Christ whatsoever bonds or afflictions did abide him for it Acts 18.5.20.22,23 17.16,17 2. Set your wills to this work That our confessions are so defective is usually through the wills default which hath the dominion over the outward works and parts A willing heart will make a willing head hand mouth and members Exod 35.21,22,29 Psalm 40.8 And indeed the welcome Confession is the willing Confession Neh. 11.2 Judg. 5.2 1 Cor 9.17 First Set therefore the election of your wills aright If your choice be rotten your confession will never be right but a good-choice will infer a good confession I have chosen the way of thy truth saith David VVhat then Thy judgements have I laid before me I have stuck unto thy testimonies I will run the wayes of thy Commandments Psalm 119.30,31,32 They that leave the commands and Cross of Christ our of their choice at first especially when the commands are hard and the Cross is heavy their corrupt hearts being not yet changed Jo. 6.26.60.66 Luke 8.13 1 Tim. 5.11,12.15 See then that there be a thorow conversion of you to Christ or we shall never see a thorow confession of Christ by you And remember that the true Confessor is not charged simply to bear his Cross but to take up his Cross It should be the matter of his own choice and not onely of anothers cruelty Matth. 10.38 Mark 8.34 Secondly Set your intentions right As the end directs and is instructive so it draws and is impulsive to the use of all meanes whereby we may attain it Vigorbus intentions for God and his Gospel will beget vigorous indeavours for God and his Gospel They that seek God with their whole heart they also do no iniquity they walk in his wayes Psalm 119.2,3 When your intentions are actually right for Christ your inclinations will be ready also for confession 1 Peter 3.14,15 Acts 20.24 Do you intend the glory of God in Christ as your greatest business and the injoyment of God in Christ as your greatest blessedness and are the edification of Christians and the inlargement of the Church your greatest Bias in your ordinary converses VVhat then can impede your course or intercept your Confessions while these counsels and intentions are upmost and you may clearly obtain these ends by an open confession The place and power of the end in nature beside the precedents of pious ones in Scripture are a clear and full proof in this particular Phil. 1.20 c. Ps 73.25 ad finem Thirdly Set the resolutions of your wills aright Mens halvings in Religion arise out of half resolutions Let your resolutions be but constant and Religion cannot but be confessed 1 King 18.21 Hos 6.4 Away then with your Aguish fits and fluctuancies of resolution as ever you would adhere faithfully to Religion An holy resolution will never forsake the holy Faith nor fall before the unholy Idol no not for fear of the hottest Furnace and though it can fore-see no hopes of deliverance in second Causes But if liberty be not enough for his Lord Christ he shall have his life also Daniel 3.17,18 Acts 21.13 This soul will follow God fully with Caleb whatever it cost and so he findes the promised rest Numb 14.24 This Confessor hath sworn and he will perform it he will keep Gods righteous judgements whatever happens His heart is inclined to perform his statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119.106,112 Put on then and preserve this holy courage and happy stoutness for thy Saviour Christ All people will walk every one in the Name of his God and shall the professer of Christ warp Nay say you also we will walk in the Name of our God for ever and ever Mic. 4.5 3. Set your affections to this work Affections are much-what the spring of action These you must ingage most firmly to God and God inquireth after these most fully in you Who is this that ingageth his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord Jer. 30.21 The more fixed your affections are upon Christ the more free and full will be your acknowledgements of and unto Christ Psalm 108.1 57.7 'T is true such affections as have evil for their object must be kept off from Christ but such as have good for their object must be quickned toward and kept up upon and with Christ 1. Keep off the former from Christ especially sinful shame and fear First Keep off shame As you would endure the Cross and witness a good confession you must despise the shame Hebr. 12.2 And indeed nothing but sin properly is the object of shame or in order to sin Others you see glorying in their shame and will you be ashamed of your glory Brethren it is no shame to speak do or suffer as a Christian T is rather a glory both to your selves and Saviour who is herein glorified by you and you also may glory in him and in it through him and the spirit of Glory resteth on you 1 Peter 4.13 17. Acts 5.41 Let the proud be ashamed for sin doth and God will stain the pride of their glory but let not the pious Professor be ashamed on whom the spirit of Glory resteth and for whom the state of Glory is reserved You should speak of his testimonies before Kings and not be ashamed Psalm 119.46 This should be your earnest expectation and hope that in nothing you shall be ashamed whatever you abide for confessing Christ in an afflicted life or inflicted death Phil. 1.20 Is not a glorified Christ ashamed to call you his in Heaven And shall vilified Christians be ashamed to call Christ theirs upon Earth far be it As you would not have Christ to be ashamed of you Hebr. 2.11.16 Mark 8.38 Are the perfect exercises of Christianity and injoyment of Christ the business and blessedness also of the glorified spirits there Certainly they do not call for or cause shame here Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of the Lord neither of his cause nor of thy call neither of his Captives nor of their chains 2 Tim. 1.8.12.16 Secondly Keep down fear Fear of sinful men and of suffering miseries As you would not strengthen faith suppress anxious and amazing fears which cause a snare and contract a stain upon your cause straitness upon the conscience spoil your confession and are a shame to Confessors Isa 8.12.13 Prov. 29.25 Christ therefore carefully preventeth these when he presseth this Luke 12.3 10 Matth. 10.26 34. Truth is Confessors of all others have least cause of inordinate fears who have the All-mighty presence of God to keep them and the aboundant promises of his Grace to comfort them Hear him I even I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Son of man that