pocrisy, before man it is deceit; and to ourselves it is a broken reed, on which, if we lean, it will enter our hands and pierce us. No: confession is beautiful, is virtuous, is honourable, is a mean of salvation, then only, when it leads the assemblage of Christian virtues, marshalling and accompanying all the lovely progeny of a true faith.

Nor do we for an instant deny, that circumstances may make a great difference in the value of confession as a sign and fruit of faith, though the confession itself be equally sincere and orthodox. The occasions of all the other overt acts of faith may be removed; and then confession may become the representative (not the substitute, but the representative) of the whole class of Christian virtues; and reason dictates, and charity demands, that to him, in whom we see the only fruit of faith which he has the opportunity to display, we should ascribe that faith which he professes. And our blessed Lord himself recognised this rule of judgment; for when the penitent thief, in the very article of suffering, confessed his name, and it was all that he could do, Jesus said to him, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Far other would have been our Lord's answer to one who should trust to such a confession, and to that alone, in the midst of opportunities of active virtue: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord! Lord! shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Sometimes, too, a verbal, or other external confes

sion of faith, is the sign and test of the highest Christian perfection, the crown of all the Christian graces and duties; for it is sometimes required under such circumstances, that we are, humanly speaking, sure, that he who thus witnesses of Christ, could not be induced to deny him, by any assault or artifices of the devil or man. And such a confession is not only most striking in the eyes of men, but before God also it is peculiarly pleasing. Hence the apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus; and it is an acknowledged proof of God's favour to place men under those circumstances in which their confessions may be most excellent. Why else is it that we are taught to glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed? Under such circumstances did the apostles themselves confess Christ; and under such circumstances did many primitive martyrs witness a good confession, making an open profession of their faith before a heathen tribunal, and a pagan altar; before the rack, or the stake, or the sword, or the den of lions; in spite of insult, and scorn, and tumultuous violence; uninfluenced by the earnest and repeated entreaties of dear friends, or of advisers, ignorantly merciful; unmoved, though they knew that they might go forth free, amid the plaudits of assembled thousands, by denying their Saviour; but must suffer torments inexpressible, if they still held fast the profession of their faith. When we hear

the blessed Polycarp, surrounded with all such circumstances as could add dignity and importance to his true confession, to the menaces, to the entreaties of

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the governor, Compassionate thine years, swear, and I will dismiss thee, revile Christ,"- replying, Eighty-and-six years have I served Christ, and in nothing hath he wronged me; how can I blaspheme my king and my Saviour ?"-When we see Nicephorus mourning over the reproach to which the name of Christ was subjected, because of the apostasy of his former friend Sapricius, rushing into the midst of the terrors before which the other had already yielded, exclaiming, "Soldiers, I am a Christian; I serve that God whom Sapricius has denied."-When we see confession attended with such circumstances, we cannot but feel that it is the very crown, and consummation, and glory of faith and we no more rank ourselves, who have not yet resisted unto blood, with such confessors as these; than we put a barren confession, where there is room for other fruits, in competition with that of the penitent thief in the article of suffering.

Yet we will not believe that we are debarred from the blessing of confession mentioned in the text, and in many other passages of Scripture. We will not believe that we have no opportunity, in any degree, to follow the example of Christ, who witnessed a good confession. We will not believe that God hath placed us in these times, so rich in many spiritual blessings, yet denied us the privilege of confessing with our

lips unto salvation, what we have believed with our hearts unto righteousness: and we will look for other circumstances which may give to our confession also a virtue in the eyes of His grace, and to the benefit of our own souls, which shall justify us in guarding it as one of the greatest privileges of our high calling.

And these we find, in the peculiar blessings attending associated worship, when the unity of faith, following from the union by one spirit, in one body, the church, makes us one with Christ our Head; so that we partake in his holiness, and devotion, and truth, and love, as we do also in his sufferings, and resurrection, and glory.

Behold, says the Psalmist, how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garment ; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded his blessing, even life for evermore. And the blessings of which the Psalmist here speaks we do now enjoy, when we associate in any act of devotion, in any expression of faith, in any duty, with the church of Christ, with his body, in all ages and all places. For we are one with them all: one with the apostles and apostolic saints; one with the holy church throughout all the world; as truly as we are one with those whose lips we see moving around us, when we are visibly associated with them in prayer,

in praise, or in confession of faith. Jesus Christ himself has promised a singular blessing to prayer at such a season. If two of you, saith he, shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. Can we think that this promise is made to our prayers only? No for the context proceeds to give a reason for such a blessing, which is equally applicable to every act of associated worship: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

If, then, we dare not claim so high a privilege for the confessions which we make with the church, as we see to have attended those confessions which martyrs sealed with their blood; if our circumstances make it impossible to follow Christ in that part of his confession, that it was made before Pontius Pilate, (that is, with all the attendant circumstances of persecution;) yet we can witness a good confession out of a pure heart, with faith unfeigned, and in the assembly of saints. This we will do; and we will thank God, who hath put this in our power, and promised a blessing to those who duly exercise his gifts.

And though, indeed, the great and final blessing which waits on such a confession, is reserved for us in the kingdom of heaven; yet do we receive some pledges and foretastes of it, even in this present life. Often to express our belief of those things, on the verity of which the salvation of the world is suspended; and our own individual assurance in which, is the pledge