tation, but with the scandal of seduction in danger to sin, and to run into error by our not appearing for God, the interest of truth should prevail above our ease and private content.

6. When an account of my faith is demanded, and I am called forth to give testimony for Christ, especially by magistrates: "Ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles" (Matt. x. 18). "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Pet. iii. 15), provided it be not in scorn. "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him: answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit" (Prov. xxvi. 4, 5). Answer and answer not; not out of curiosity, as Herod questioned Christ many things, "but he answered him nothing" (Luke xxiii. 9), or to be a snare: "They held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the king's commandment was, saying, Answer him not" (Isa. xxxvi. 21); nor parley with Rabshakeh. In such cases you must not cast pearls before swine, lest they turn again and rend you. (Matt. vii. 6).

7. When impulsions are great, and fair opportunities are offered in God's providence: "While Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry" (Acts xvii. 16). It is an intimation from God, that then it is seasonable to interpose for his glory.

2ndly, Negatively which is to be forborne.

1. Till you be fully persuaded in your own mind of the truth which you would profess; for otherwise we shall appear with a various and doubtful face to the world, changing and wavering according to the uncertainty of our own thoughts, and so make the profession of religion ridiculous. We often see cause to suspect what before we were strongly conceited of; there is a certain credulity and lightness of believing which men are subject to; now, when this breaks out into sudden profession, men run through all sects and religions, and so blast and blemish their own service; therefore, what is contrary to the received sense, especially of the godly, ought to be weighed and weighed again, before we appear to the world to be otherwise minded.

2. When the profession of a lesser truth proves an offence to the weak, and a disturbance to the church, and a hindrance of some greater benefit, all private opinions must give way to the great law of edification: "Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God" (Rom. xiv. 22). We must not perplex weak souls with doubtful disputations, till they be established in greater things; neither must the peace of the church be troubled with nice debates, but all things must give way to the profit and general edification.

3. When the unseasonable ventings of things will do more hurt than good, and the sway of the times, and the strong tide and current of prejudices running down against us, hinder all probability of doing good, then, our profession now, may deprive us of a more useful profession another time: "A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards" (Prov. xxix 11). Paul was at Ephesus two years before he spake against Diana (Acts xix. 10); only intimated, in general terms, that they were no gods that were made with hands. When we cannot effect the good things we desire, nor in that holy manner we would, we must not obstruct our future service, but commend the cause to God, and wait further opportunity to do good.

Secondly, The manner how to make profession.

1. Knowledge must be at the bottom of profession; some will run before they can go, leap into opinions and practices before they see the reasons of them, and then no wonder they are as children, carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. iv. 14). Wherefore, that which we profess we must do it knowingly, that we may be able to render a reason of all that we do profess.

2. Gracious wisdom, to espy the due occasion when God is glorified and our neighbour edified. Rash, arrogant, and presumptuous spirits are heady, high-minded, disgrace religion more than honour it.

"When "Grant

3. With boldness to do it freely, and without fear of men: they saw the boldness of Peter and John," &c. (Acts iv. 13); unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word" (verse 19); and, "They that have used the office of a deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. iii. 13). "Barnabas declared unto them how he had preached boldly to them at Damascus in the name of Jesus" (Acts ix. 27); "He spake boldly in the name of Jesus" (verse 29); "Long time, therefore, abode they, speaking boldly in the Lord" (Acts xiv. 3); "Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold" (Acts xiii. 46). Fear and shame argueth diffidence of the truth which we profess, or else a distrust of the God from whom it cometh, or at least the unsoundness of the professing party, that he hath a naughty conscience, or a great deal of fleshly fear unmortified. As he cannot walk stoutly that has a stone in his shoe, so he that hath sin in his conscience; obmutescit facundia si ægra sit conscientia, saith Ambrose, "a bad conscience stoppeth the mouth."

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4. With sincerity, without dissimulation and guile. Profession without answerable duty is like leaves without fruit; words must come from the heart; to be talking of God when they lie under the guilt of known sins, is as if one say unto the poor, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled: notwithstanding, ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" (James ii. 16.) "Unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth? seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee" (Psalm 1. 16, 17).

5. With meekness and reverence: "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Pet. iii. 15); not in a passionate, froward, arrogant way, but with meekness of spirit, without all show of passion, and with sober and respective language.

6. The general end is the glory of God, and the edification of our neighbour; and the means to this end is the fear of God, which keeps us out of all faulty extremes: "Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Eccl. vii. 16, 17.) Some drive all things to extremity, hot like gunpowder; others freeze into a compliance and time-serving. When the heart is seasoned by the fear of God, and we are guided by reasons of conscience rather than interest, and we constantly wait upon God for direction, then will God guide us.

DOCTRINE II.-Such trials may befall God's children that the word of truth may seem to be taken out of their mouths.

This may come to pass two ways,

1. They may not have liberty to own it; as, "They commanded them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus: and they said, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye" (Acts iv. 18, 19). The magistrates' command is a silencing of them, shutting of their mouths; only here cometh a question, whether ministers forbidden by magistrates should desist from preaching? If we say they ought, it seems to be against the apostles' reply; if we say not, we shall seem to deny obedience to secular and politic powers, who ought to be satisfied in the persons that exercise a public ministry in their dominions, and so lay a foundation for public disturbance and disorder. For answer: We must distinguish between persons employed to preach the Gospel; some immediately called by Christ himself, others mediately called by men, some fallible and obnoxious to errors, and many failings, which render them unworthy of such a calling; others infallibly guided and assisted; these latter, without flat disobedience and injury to Christ, could not own any command contrary to the precedent authority of Christ, being the only men of that order that could witness these things. It is true, a necessity is laid upon us of preaching the Gospel (1 Cor. ix. 16). So as not voluntarily to relinquish our station, but we may be forced to give way to the greater force. Some are silenced by authority and opposition of men; a dispensation God often permitteth for despising the truth, and playing the wantons with an opportunity of open profession; when men dally with the light, God removeth their candlestick, and the door is shut upon them.

2. They may not have courage to own the word of truth for fear of danger, because of many adversaries. There is a great deal of this unmortified fleshly fear in the best, and they may be tongue-tied when God's glory is concerned, and awed by the menaces and insultations of evil men, or discouraged that they dare not trust God with events, and are out of all hope of success: "I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb and shalt not be to them a reprover, for they are a rebellious house" (Ezek. iii. 26). By these and many other ways they may be discouraged from speaking of God and his truth, but now when such a case falleth out what shall we do? That is the third point.

DOCTRINE III.-At such a time God must be dealt withal about it, upon two grounds.

1. Because God hath a great hand in the judgment: in the outward case, want of liberty; nothing falleth out without his providence; he seeth fit sometimes to exercise his people with unreasonable men, "for all have not faith" (2 Thes. iii. 2), that obstruct and hinder the course of the Gospel; some, that be like Elymas the sorcerer, enemies to all goodness (Acts viii. 20). And this in Ecclesia constituta, in the bosom of the church, where the orthodox faith is professed, where magistrates be Christians, and should be nursing fathers to the church. In Abraham's family, which Paul makes the pattern of our estate to the end of the world. "But as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now" (Gal. iv. 29); these may prevail many times to the great discouragement of the faithful. God may suffer it to be so for the punishing and trying of his people: "But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing

daily in the school of one Tyrannus" (Acts xix. 9). Then, as to the inward case, he may justly desert us in the time of trial, when we should give a testimony for him, and take the word of truth out of our mouths. All these speeches, "Hide not thy commandments from me" (verse 19): "Incline not my heart to covetousness" (verse 26); and here, "Take not thy word out of my mouth," and many suchlike, relate to God's judicial sentence in what he doth as a judge; upon our evil deserving he withdraweth his grace, and then we are delivered over to our own fears and baseness of spirit. Besides our own fault, there is judicial tradition on God's part, which takes away the heart and courage of men: "He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness, where there is no way" (Job xii. 24). Now, none can suspend God's sentence but God himself; if he shut, who can open? therefore he is to be dealt with.

2. God only can give us a remedy by his grace and power, therefore our great business lieth with him, in regard of the power of his providence, by which he can remove rubs and oppositions: "Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course" (2 Thes. ii. 1); iva óλóyoçre Dex tpixel, "That it may run as chariot wheels on smooth ground," without rubs and oppositions. There are many times mountains in the way, potent oppositions, and strongly combined interests, that hinder the liberty of the word, but God can smooth them into a plain : "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain" (Zech. iv. 7). Opposition seemeth insuperable; that great mountain that obstructed the work of God, was the court of Persia, instigated and set on by the Samaritan faction; a great mountain indeed, but as great as it is, God can thrash it into dust when it hindereth his interest. As to the inward case, it is God that giveth a spirit of courage and fortitude, and a mouth and wisdom which all the adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist (Luke xxi. 15). He will give it us in that hour, what we shall say; so, God encourageth Moses when he pleadeth his slowness of speech: "Who hath made man's mouth, or who maketh the dumb or deaf, or the seeing or the blind, have not I the Lord ?" (Exod iv. 11.) Whatever inclination of heart there be in the creature, it is God must give a spirit and a presence, by the continual influence of his grace; he frees the heart from fears, and ordereth the tongue; for the power of the tongue is no more in our hands than the affections of the heart: "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord" (Prov. xvi. 1). Tappηaoi, is the gift of God that we own him and his truth.

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USE I. Let then every person be dealing with God about this case, every single private person for himself, and for public persons, the prayers of others are necessary. It is a common case wherein all are concerned : "Praying for us that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ" (Col. iv. 3). 'Pray for me that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel" (Eph. vi. 19). They that are sensible of the weight of the ministerial charge, and their own many infirmities, and how much it concerns us to own all the truths of God in their season, let us beg of God this boldness, and set others a-begging for us.

1. Humbly confessing our ill deservings; it is a sign God is angry when he suffereth his Gospel to be obstructed, much more when the mouths of his ministers are shut up that they shall not plead for his in

terest and truths. It is a notable sign of his departure that he is not much concerned in the progress of the Gospel. God's raising spirits is a hopeful presage. Oh, therefore, let us humble ourselves before the Lord. 2. Earnestly; for it is a case that concerneth us deeply, because upon our trial we should be strict and precise: "According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death" (Phil. i. 20). It would be sad if the Gospel should suffer loss by us. Alas! what a torment to us will the thought of it be, that we have dishonoured God, and wronged souls, and strengthened the hands of the wicked. Origen, who had exhorted others to martydom, having himself bowed under the persecution, could never more open his mouth to preach the Gospel, though often requested to it, only one day having taken for his text: "Unto the wicked he saith, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?" (Psalm 1. 16); he wept very much, and could speak no more. Oh, therefore, it is no slight thing.

3. Deal with God believingly, pray in faith; there are two considerations in the text which may fortify us.

1st, Because it is a word of truth.

2ndly, There are judgments to be executed on the hinderers of the

word of truth.

1. It is a word of truth, and that will prevail at length, however it be obstructed for a time. In the first publishing of the Gospel this was manifested, when the whole world was conspired to shut the door against it: "A great door and effectual is opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Cor. vi. 9). A few fishermen, who had not the power of the long sword, yet it is spread far and near. The fathers often urged this. Clemens Alexandrinus saith, Propositam Græciæ philosophiam si quivis magistratus prohibuerit, en statim perit; nostram autem doctrinam a prima usque ejus prædicatione prohibent reges, duces, magistratus, cum universis satellitibus, illa tamen non flaccescit ut humana doctrina, sed magis floret. It spread far and near; the first reformation what small beginnings it had.

2. There are judgments, strange providences, by which God breaketh opposition, either changing the hearts of men, or else cutting them off in the midway, when his wrath is kindled but a little (Psalm ii. 12). They dash against the corner-stone; God will show himself mighty and powerful in promoting the word of truth, and will carry on the kingdom of Christ over the backs of his enemies.

DOCTRINE IV. We should not give over dealing with God, though he is pleased to desert us in some passages of our trials, that he may not forsake us utterly.

Many of God's choicest servants have been tripping: "As for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well-nigh slipped" (Psalm lxxiii. 2), but they recovered themselves again. Peter fell for a time, but afterwards groweth bold. Once timorous Peter, but "When they saw the boldness of Peter and John" (Acts iv. 13): the martyrs that were permitted for a while to deny the truth, yet were not permitted to deny it utterly; they bewailed their faults, and suffered the more courageously. (1.) It is fit the creatures should know themselves, therefore God will humble us, and in part leave us to our own fears, but not wholly leave us destitute of