SERMON XII.

ON A GOOD PROFESSION.

1 TIMOTHY VI. 12.

"Lay hold on eternal life; whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

In this passage St. Paul exhorts Timothy to lay hold on eternal life, and presents two powerful motives to engage him in the pursuit. Of these the first is, that he has been called by God to take possession of this glorious inheritance. The call here spoken of not only intends the general invitation of the Gospel, but also that which by the Westminster Assembly is styled Effectual Calling-the internal call of the divine Spirit. The second is, the good profession which he had professed before many witnesses. Timothy had publicly professed the religion of Christ before many witnesses; thus declaring that this was the religion of his choice, and solemnly given himself up to the Redeemer as one of his disciples. In the former of these transactions God had bound him to seek eternal life; in the latter he had bound himself. More powerful reasons could not be alleged, why he should continue to seek with unremitted diligence and fervour this all-important object.

The profession which Timothy had made of the religion of the Gospel in this case was a public profession; for it was

made before many witnesses. St. Paul declares it also to have been a good profession; and in this, as he spoke by inspiration, could not be deceived.

The same religion is publicly professed in our churches, as it plainly ought to be. That the profession when made ought also to be good, cannot rationally be denied; for it can hardly be supposed that any other will be acceptable to God.

In the following discourse it is my design to consider the subject with some attention. In pursuing this design, I shall consider,

I. What a good profession of the Christian religion is. II. What is that state of mind in which a profession may be made.

I. What is a good profession of the Christian religion? A good profession of the Christian religion is, in the First place, A declaration that we believe the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel.

That some doctrines of the Gospel are fundamental, will hardly be questioned by any man, who believes the Gospel to be a revelation. Doctrines of the Gospel are truths, conformity to which in our hearts and lives will entitle us to the favour of God. Such as will be condemned at the fatal day among those who know the Gospel, we are assured will be condemned, because they obey not the Gospel. But it is clearly certain, that what we do not believe we cannot obey. No man's heart or life was, it is presumed, ever better than it would appear to be from the whole of the doctrines which he believed.

Among these doctrines, however, some are obviously of more importance than others; and of such as possess this importance, some are obviously essential to the very nature of the scheme of which they are parts. This is true of all systems of thought, whatever may be their nature or subject. Most evidently is it true of the evangelical system. There are certain truths of the Gospel on which all the rest depend for their whole importance, and even for their meaning. If we believe not these we believe not the Gospel; for without these the Gospel is nothing: if we love not these, we love not the

Gospel; if we obey not these, we obey not the Gospel. If we believe not these, it is impossible that we should love or obey them. No truth was ever loved or obeyed until after it was believed. And, as these truths constitute the substance and marrow of the Gospel, so, unless we believe them, it is impossible that the evangelical system should have its proper influence either on our hearts or on our lives; in other words, it is impossible that we should be true disciples of our Redeemer.

It will not be doubted that a man cannot be a Christian unless he believes the Gospel. It is so often and so expressly declared in the Gospel itself, that faith is absolutely necessary to salvation, as to put to flight every hope of obtaining it without the possession of this attribute. Who, after hearing these declarations, "He that believeth on the Son hath ever"lasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see "life, but the wrath of God abideth on him," can rationally expect to escape that wrath, or to obtain that life, without believing? To believe on the Son of God, then, is essential to the attainment of everlasting life. But, whatever else is included in this faith, it certainly involves a speculative belief of the truths, which are the immediate objects of faith. Without such belief there can be no faith. Accordingly those are declared to be condemned universally who believe not the truth. Those also who will be finally saved, are declared to be chosen to salvation, not only through the sanctification of the Spirit, but also through the belief of the truth. Nay, the truth is declared to be the essential means of sanctification. “Sanctify them," says our Saviour in his intercessory prayer, “by thy truth. Thy word is truth."

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shall die

Among the truths which are essential to the system of the Gospel, those which together constitute the character of Christ are undoubtedly of primary importance. "If ye believe not "that I am he," says our Saviour to the Jews," ye " in your sins." "He that believeth on him is not condemn"ed; but he that believeth not is condemned already." "Whoso believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, whosoever "believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God."

To believe in Christ, is undoubtedly to believe in his true character, his nature, his offices, and his actions. In other words, it is to believe that he is what he really is-that he has done what he really has done-and that he has said what he has really said. All these, so far as it can be known by us, or be an object of our faith, is declared in the Scriptures. To believe, then, in the declarations of Scripture concerning Christ, is to believe in his character, offices, and actions. But to believe the declarations of Scripture, is to believe their true meaning; for the words, independently of their meaning, are nothing; and, if we substitute a meaning for the true one, we believe not the Scriptures, but ourselves-not their meaning, but our own—not a declaration of God, but a declaration of man put in its place. To believe in the true meaning of the scriptural declarations concerning Christ is, then, to believe the true character, offices, and actions of Christ.

What this meaning is, in most cases cannot be lawfully nor innocently mistaken. In almost all instances these declarations were addressed to the great body of mankind, and were intended to be understood by them. They are written, not in words, which man's wisdom teacheth, but in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth, and, therefore, the best of all words. Hence it is certain, that their obvious meaning is the true one, for these plain and unanswerable reasons, that those to whom they are addressed cannot possibly find out any other; and it is equally impossible that God should have so written his word, as that those to whom it is especially addressed should, when faithfully employed in examining it, be necessarily perplexed and deceived.

When, therefore, we find these declarations in the Scriptures, "Christ is God over all things, and blessed for ever;" "this is the true God, and eternal life;"" he is the propitia“tion for our sins," we cannot innocently refuse to believe, that he is the propitiation for our sins, the true God, and God over all things. These things are plainly a part, and an essential part, of the character and offices of Christ, and to believe them is essential to the faith by which we must be saved.

It is not intended here that the simple assent of the under

standing to these or to any other proposition is the saving faith of the Gospel. "With the heart," and with the heart only I am well aware that "man believeth unto righteousness." But the belief which I have specified is essential to that of the heart, and to the righteousness of which it is the source. "The "words which I speak unto you," saith our Saviour, "they "are spirit, and they are life."

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What is true of the declarations which I have mentioned, is equally true of many others. It will be easily seen to be impossible for me, on this occasion, to enlarge upon them. will, however, barely recite a few. "Except a man be born "again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "That which "is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit " is spirit." "Not by works of righteousness which we have "done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the wash"ing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." "A man is not justified by works of law, but by the faith of "Jesus Christ." 66 By grace are ye saved, through faith, "and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." "Ex"cept ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." " Without "faith it is impossible to please God." “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

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All these declarations carry their own importance with them. All of them have an obvious meaning. In that meaning we are bound to receive them. If we do not, we certainly do not receive the Gospel; for the declarations which I have recited are the substance of the Gospel.

To give a strong example of the contrary mode of managing with the Scriptures, Mr. Belsham, one of the principal Unitarians in Great Britain, says, that "Christ, after having "given sufficient proofs of his resurrection, was in a miracu"lous manner withdrawn from their society, which is describ"ed as an ascension into heaven;" and again, "Jesus is in"deed now alive, but we are totally ignorant of the place "where he resides, and of the occupations in which he is en"gaged." St. Mark, however, says, "After the Lord had

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spoken unto the Apostles, he was received up into heaven, "and sat on the right hand of God." St. Peter says of him,