Thirdly, When we know, when we believe and obey, our greatest honour of all is to plead for, and stand up in Gods behalf, to undertake (being called) the defence of his truth and of his ways, to contend earnestly for the Faith, once (by God) delivered to the Saints, which is indeed the only good contention. Paul saith (Phil. 1.17.) I am set for the defence of the Gospel. Paul was a Champion ready to cope and buckle with all comers for Christ or the Gospel; and therefore at the 20th verse of the same Chapter, he saith, the great thing he looked after was, That Jesus Christ might be magnified in his body, whether by life, or by death. There are three ways whereby we appear as Advocates on Gods behalf; First, By saying, or arguing; Secondly, By doing or practising; Thirdly, By enduring and suffering; and by all Christ is magnified in our body; the two former ways, by life, the latter by death, or by that which bears the Image of it. There's no•hing needs a fuller measure of defence for God, than the Truth of God; and we never stand up so fully on Gods behalf, as when we stand for his Truth, though •ur selves fall. To speak and do on Gods behalf, is most for our own behoof, though we get but small fees or wages, yea though we lose our all in this world for such speaking and doing. I could wish there were not too much cause of complaint, that God hath not many to speak on his behalf, and that Christ Jesus, our great, our only Advocate with God, hath few Advocates among men. When God as it were calls to us, Who is on my side? who? Truly there are but few that will appear for him, that is, for Truth, for Holiness, for holy Worship; few appear for these things when differences arise about them. The corrupt part of the world in any Age will not, and the better part are not so free as they ought, to speak and appear (in such Cases) on Gods behalf. The world (saith St. John in the Revelation) wondered after the Beast; & he cannot want Advocates, who hath so many Admirers. But as the Admirers, so the Advocates ⟨p. 142⟩of the Lamb are not many, they are only a sealed, a selected Company. We can be very warm in speaking in our own Cause, and on our own behalf; but how cold and dead-hearted are we when we come to speak in the behalf of God! what a sad withdrawing is there from that duty!
Thirdly, When we know, when we believe and obey, our greatest honour of all is to plead for, and stand up in Gods behalf, to undertake (being called) the defence of his truth and of his wayes, to contend earnestly for the Faith, once (by God) delivered to the Saints, which is indeed the only good contention. Paul saith (Phil. 1.17.) I am set for the defence of the Gospel. Paul was a Champion ready to cope and buckle with all comers for Christ or the Gospel; and therefore at the 20th verse of the same Chapter, he saith, the great thing he lookt after was, That Jesus Christ might be magnified in his body, whether by life, or by death. There are three wayes whereby we appear as Advocates on Gods behalf; First, By saying, or arguing; Secondly, By doing or practising; Thirdly, By enduring and suffering; and by all Christ is magnified in our body; the two former wayes, by life, the latter by death, or by that which bears the Image of it. There's no•hing needs a fuller measure of defence for God, than the Truth of God; and we never stand up so fully on Gods behalf, as when we stand for his Truth, though •ur selves fall. To speak and do on Gods behalf, is most for our own behoof, though we get but small fees or wages, yea though we lose our all in this world for such speaking and doing. I could wish there were not too much cause of complaint, that God hath not many to speak on his behalf, and that Christ Jesus, our great, our only Advocate with God, hath few Advocates among men. When God as it were calls to us, Who is on my side? who? Truly there are but few that will appear for him, that is, for Truth, for Holiness, for holy Worship; few appear for these things when differences arise about them. The corrupt part of the world in any Age will not, and the better part are not so free as they ought, to speak and appear (in such Cases) on Gods behalf. The world (saith St. John in the Revelation) wondred after the Beast; & he cannot want Advocates, who hath so many Admirers. But as the Admirers, so the Advocates ⟨p. 142⟩of the Lamb are not many, they are only a sealed, a selected Company. We can be very warm in speaking in our own Cause, and on our own behalf; but how cold and dead-hearted are we when we come to speak in the behalf of God! what a sad withdrawing is there from that duty!
