St. Peter, it is true, might alledge the passion of fear, as well as shame: he probably thought his life in some danger, and had an eye to his personal safety, as well as credit, when he denied his Master. Yet when he reflected on his unworthy conduct, though under these circumstances of alleviation, he wept bitterly, as he had reason to do. What then should they feel, who have not this cloke for their shame? who deny their Lord without any inducement to do so, but the weak apprehension of disgusting some persons, whose sentiments, after all, they do not really adopt, themselves. Yet is this no uncommon case. Men are ashamed to confess with their mouths, what they believe in their hearts; and give themselves airs of a frank libertinism, when they tremble at their own impiety: And all this to be well with a frivolous circle, which they frequent, or to merit the good word of certain fashionable blasphemers.
[2]. Another sort of men seem to come within the description of the text, who, though neither prompted by a sense of danger to their persons, nor of disgrace to their reputation, are yet induced by a regard to their interest, when it presses upon them with a certain force, to dissemble their conviction, or rather openly to avow their shame of Jesus. Such are they, of whom our Lord himself speaks, who for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away[275]: And such, in particular, was the young man in the Gospel, who had no vice to keep him from believing, nay who would gladly, perhaps have sacrificed any thing, but his fortune, to the Christian faith. It seems, as if he had been upon the point of entering, without reserve, into the service of his new master, when, being told, that he must part with all he had, and then follow him, he grew sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions[276]. Poverty was a cross, which this amiable young man was not prepared to take up. His faith, which, before, gave a promise of life and vigour, died away at the proposal. He now found, doubtless with some surprize to himself, that he had the seeds of infidelity lurking in him. He could not resolve to give this last proof of his sincerity: he, therefore, withdrew himself from Christ; in other words, he was ashamed of him. Let us pity the weakness of this unhappy young man; and only ask ourselves, if, in his circumstances, or in any approaching to them, we should not have hesitated, as he did, about believing in the name of the Lord Jesus. If we should, let us implore the divine grace to strengthen our faith, and frankly confess, that a secret principle of shame, though skulking behind some other and more venial infirmity, has taken hold of us.
[3]. Still we may not have gone these lengths of infidelity. We assure ourselves, perhaps, that no consideration would induce us, simply and wholly, to renounce the faith, and that, if the hard alternative was proposed to us, we should rather give up wealth, fame, and life itself, than formally deny our Lord, and disclaim all hopes of interest in him. But let us explore our hearts a little, those hearts, which, as we are told and have reason to know, are deceitful above all things[277]. Have we never in lesser instances detected ourselves approaching somewhat towards this ignominious crime of apostacy?
Have we not contented ourselves with being the disciples of Christ in private, and with going to him, as the Ruler of the Jews did, by night, in secrecy, and, as it were, by stealth, not to draw the observation of men upon us? Have we been willing and ready to serve him in the congregation, to attend his ordinances, and to revere his sacraments? Have we dared to let the world see that we are not ashamed of the cross of Christ[278]? and that we glory in remembering him, as we are admonished to do, at his holy table[279]? Have we no reluctance to let our friends, nay our servants, know[280] that we live in a daily sense of our duty to him, and that we hope for all the blessings of this life and the next, only through his merits and intercession? Have we never heared his pretensions slighted, and his holy name blasphemed, without expressing a becoming zeal for the honour of our Redeemer? Have we testified out displeasure at freedoms of this sort by an open reprehension of them on all fit occasions; at least by a look and manner, which shewed how offensive they were to us? On the other hand, have we never, in such circumstances, by an assumed air of complacency, seemed to authorize what we secretly disapproved, and to yield our assent to propositions which we inwardly detested? In a word, have we none of us, at any time, given occasion to unbelievers to say or think of us, that we were almost inclined to be of their party; or at least that we had not the zeal, and firmness and resolution, which men ought to have, who profess themselves believers in Jesus?
To these, and other questions of the like sort, it concerns us to think what answers we could honestly make. But of this be we assured: If we have not constantly and uniformly signified, declared, proclaimed our attachment to Christ; if we have not taken care to avoid all irreverence toward our Lord and Master; nay, if we have not been enough upon our guard to let no man suspect us of indifference towards him—we certainly have not done our duty; we have virtually denied the Son of Man; we have, in effect, been ashamed of him.
And THUS MUCH may suffice for a commentary on that part of the text, which more immediately respects the PERSON of Jesus Christ—Whosoever shall be ashamed of ME—but our Lord goes farther, and says—Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of MY WORDS—of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, in the day of judgment.
Here, then, is a new subject of discourse. I call it a new one; because, though the two topics run into one, and he that is ashamed of Christ’s words, may not improperly be said to be ashamed of Christ himself, yet, for the sake of method, it may be convenient to keep these two points distinct, and to give to each a separate consideration.
It remains, then, to set before you the principal of those ways, in which we may incur the guilt, especially, of being ashamed of our Lord’s words, that is, his DOCTRINES, and LAWS: a copious and important subject! on which I shall reserve what I have to say to another occasion. In the mean time, let us lay to heart what we have now heard concerning the honour due to the PERSON of our great Redeemer. Be we not, therefore, ashamed of our Lord[281]—but let us resolutely abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming[282].