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the other of persons who deny him before him before men be the result of what you men. Let us consider them apart, and then have felt and known of him from actual compare them together.
intercourse and communion with him in 1. In considering them apart, we observe your own soul. If, as a sinner, you have that those who confess Christ are not such as called upon him for mercy; if you have merely make an outward profession of the trusted in him for salvation; if you have Christian religion. Such a profession is not sought and found redemption through his without its value; though it may often be blood, the forgiveness of your sins ; if by the result of circumstances over which we faith you are united to him, as the branch have no control —such as birth, early educa- is united to the living vine,—then from the tion, the general diffusion of Christian light, fulness of your heart let your mouth speak; knowledge, and privileges, through the com for " with the heart man believeth unto rightmunity to which we belong. We ought, eousness, and with the mouth confession is therefore, ever to remember with gratitude made unto salvation." This sincere and that God, in his infinite mercy, has fixed the cordial acceptance of the Saviour, which the bounds of our habitation near his sanctuary, apostle styles " believing with the heart," is where his word is proclaimed ; that he has the only sure basis of a genuine and acceptadmitted us into his Church by the sacra able confession. ment of baptism ; that he has favoured us (2.) This confession must be bold and with his Sabbaths, and various religious ordi- courageous. It is to be the free and sponnances suited to that day of rest; that he per taneous acknowledgment of our obligation to mits to be read in our tongue the record of Christ, in the face of a world which despises his own will; and that we are not trained in him and rejects his salvation. We must set barbarism, in idolatry, in superstition, and in our face like a flint, and must stand as a crime. Yet these blessings, both positive rock, against all who would trample on the and negative, do not amount to that con
Saviour's honoured name, and must say, fession of Christ before men, which is the " God forbid that I should glory, save in the first and highest duty of the true disciple of cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the cross.
the world is crucified to me, and I unto the We know, from the awful testimony of world." We must testify that "there is no Scripture, that it is possible to "have a name other name under heaven given among men that we live," and yet to be " dead" in the whereby we must be saved." We must acsight of God. It is possible not only to be knowledge Christ as
Lord and our Christians in name, but also to make a bold God;" as the foundation of all our hopes, profession of our Christianity, without reach- the source of all our joy, the object of our ing the mark intended by the Saviour, when supreme regard. he requires us to confess him before men. (3.) And our confession must be prace The charge had long ago been brought against tical. That is only a questionable attachsome who had made a high profession of ment which spends itself in words, and religion. "This people draweth nigh to me shrinks from all acts of self-denying serwith their lips; but their heart is far from vice. Such adherence Christ rejects with me." And to such as these God speaks in abhorrence. Why call ye me Lord, Lord, language indignantly rejecting their service, and do not the things which I say?" "If ye when he says, " Who hath required this at know these things, happy are ye
if ye
do your hands, that ye should tread my courts?" them.". The practical effects of religion are Nor are the Saviour's words less explicit : the only true proofs of its reality. " Faith "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, without works is dead ;" a profession of reLord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, ligion without practice is "sounding brass and but he that doeth the will of my Father a tinkling cymbal." What avails it for you to which is in heaven."
speak honourably of Christ, if you act so as From such testimonies of Scripture as to disgrace the holy naine whereby you are these, we may conclude that the confession called ? This is not to confess Christ, but to which Christ requires of his disciples is sin- | 'deny him before men; to confess him in apcere, bold, and practical.
pearance, to deny him in fact : and such con(1.) Sincere. It must spring from a real fession is the worst of all denials. purpose of the mind to honour Christ, other 2. But we proceed to speak more particuwise it is but either a thoughtless or a hypo- larly of those who deny Christ before men. critical service. If it be thoughtless, it is Let it be noted, that there exists no neutral worth nothing; if hypocritical, it is worse class, who are alike remote from a confession than nothing-it is an insult, it is solemn and a denial of Christ. Every man stands mockery of Heaven. If, then, you would on one side or the other of that line which truly confess Christ, let what you say of separates the confessors from the deniers of
the Lord who bought them; and therefore, if eternal bliss or misery must be the portion of you are not with the former, you are with every human being,—then it is not a question the latter. All, therefore, deny Christ who of indifference whether you honour the Saviour neglect or refuse to confess him. As a mere or not. They who in sincerity and truth profession of religion is not enough to make confess Christ, and they who deny him, howa man religious, so the mere abstinence from ever small may be the difference between a bold and contemptuous denial of Christ is them in the judgment of fallible men, are not enough to prove that you do not belong " wide as the poles asunder" in the infallible to the class of persons censured by the Sa- judgment of heaven. One is a servant of viour in the text. You deny Christ, not Christ, the other his enemy; one obeys Christ, only when, like Peter, you declare with awful the other rebels against him; one loves, the imprecations, " I know not the man ;" not other hates him; one lives to Christ, the other only when you cast out his name as evil; not lives to himself; one sets his affection on only when you hate and persecute him in his things above, the other on things on the earth ; disciples ; not only when you disregard his one is dead to the world, but alive unto God ordinances, and turn aside from his house through our Lord Jesus Christ; and the other and its sacred services ;—but when you refuse alive to the world, but dead to God-dead in to accept the invitations of his grace; when trespasses and sins. you allow his message to fall unheeded on We proceed therefore to inquire, your ear; when you shield your hearts be II. What is the consequence of such conneath the pleasures, the business, or the cares fession or denial of Christ to those by whom of the world, against the gentle influences of it has been made ? his Holy Spirit. You deny bim, when you If we would know the true character of allow him to stand at the door of your heart actions, we must look forward to their final and knock, without arising to open the door issue. To judge by the immediate effects of and to admit the heavenly guest. You deny any given course of conduct, is only to betray him, when you shrink from confessing his ourselves into endless mistake. It is not the name in the presence of his enemies ; when intention of the divine Governor of the uniyou seek your own ease, or honour, or ad- verse that we should be able to form accurate vantage, by avoiding the reproach of Christ, judgments of character from the immediate which Moses esteemed " greater riches than results of human conduct. "He hath apall the treasures in Egypt." You deny him, pointed a day in which he will judge the world when you refuse to obey his command, " If in righteousness, by that Man whom he hath any man will be my disciple, let him deny ordained." And then shall we return and himself, and take up his cross and follow discern" between the righteous and the wicked, me." Alas, how many are there whose names between him that serveth God, and him that stand high as professors of religion, who, if serveth him not." The text unfolds to us examined by this text, will be found in heart the great rule of judgment which shall be deniers of the Lord Jesus !
acted upon in that day. The Saviour arrests And yet it is often asked, What great dif- attention by the emphatic words with which ference is there between these two classes of he introduces his solemn topic: "I say unto persons ? Why should those be set down as you, Whosoever sball confess me before men, irreligious, who, though they are reputable him shall the Son of man also confess before in all the ordinary relations of life, may not the angels of God. But he that denieth me perhaps make a profession of ardent attach- before men, shall be denied before the angels ment to the Saviour's cause? Why should of God." the man who acknowledges Christ and honours There is not one among us, brethren, who him be so greatly preferred to another, whose is not deeply and personally interested in this only fault appears to be, that he is not so solemn declaration. As all have either conattentive as he might be to religious duties ? fessed Christ or denied him on earth, so shall Such questions can be asked only by persons all be confessed or denied by him at the day who are themselves strangers to every thing of judgment. Let me beseech you, therefore, valuable and essential in true religion. Is to hear for yourselves; to examine the state it a light thing that the Saviour should be of your own souls; to inquire, Do I confess dishonoured, that his authority should be Christ or deny him? Am | his disciple, or his slighted, that his cause should be neglected ? enemy? One or the other I must be: I may It might be so, if this world were our place of in my judgment be halting between two rest; if there were no hereafter ; if we had opinions ; but I cannot be found hovering no immortal souls, which need redemption and between the two states described in the text. salvation. But if the present life is indeed a I must be either a consessor or a denier of dream, and the future life a reality; if there Christ; and consequently, according to his is a heaven and a hell beyond the grave; if | own declaration, I must be either acknow
ledged or rejected by him in that day which One word of approval then from the lips of shall irrevocably fix my everlasting destiny.
Jesus will involve an immortality of perWith such thoughts and feelings, let us con- fection, of glory, and of bliss. May we all template,
in that day be found in Christ, be acknow1. The Saviour's acknowledgment of his ledged by him as his servants, and be admitted disciples, "Whosoever shall confess me, him at his command into the mansions of glory will I confess."
which he has prepared for them that love " Whosoever"-mark that universal term. him ! Whatever your circumstances on earth may be, But there is another view, which truth -whether you are poor or rich ; whether you compels us to take, before we dismiss the subare learned or ignorant; whether you can ject of inquiry; and that respects, command the respect and attention of your 2. The Saviour's denial of his enemies. fellow-creatures, or are dependent on them " He that denieth me before men, shall be for your livelihood, and are treated by them denied before the angels of God." All are as unworthy of notice,-yet, if you are con enemies of Christ who are not his friends ; fessors of Christ, he will not despise your and all shall be treated as deniers of him who tribute of acknowledgment; he who delighted have not dared to confess him in the presence to hear from the lips of babes the song of of a sinful world. And, I ask, is it possible humble praise, will not turn away his ear for language to describe what is the full imfrom you. He will accept your prayer ; he port of that dreadful sentence which the
negwill register it in the book of bis remem lected, wounded, and resisted Saviour will brance ; he will unfold that book before pronounce on all who have been ashamed of assembled worlds; and will recognise you as him and of his words in this sinful world? the children of his love in the presence of the Will he not remind them of the privileges angels of God.
they have slighted, of the mercies they have And what shall be the substance of his abused, of the solemn warnings they have acknowledgment ?—"This my son was dead, ridiculed or forgotten? Will he not shew and is alive again; he was lost, and is found them his pierced hands and feet, and tell He was as a sheep going astray; but I sought them that they had crucified unto themselves him in the wilderness, and brought him home the Son of God afresh, and put him to an rejoicing. He was a rebel against my govern open shame? Will he not set before them all ment; but I taught him, by my grace, to take my their secret sins, and uncover, in the presence yoke upon him and to learn of me. He heard of all intelligent beings, the deeds of darkmy voice, arose at my bidding, and followed ness which they had vainly thought to conceal me in the rough and thorny path which from every eye? Will he not shew them the leadeth unto life. He trusted in my right- folly of having attempted to weave the flimsy eousness, was justified through my blood, garment of self-righteousness, as a substitute sanctified by my Spirit, and prepared, by the for the only righteousness through which a silent operations of my grace, and by the man can be justified before God? Will he corrective discipline of my unerring provi- not say, " Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting dence, for eternal glory. He was not ashamed fire, prepared for the devil and his angels ?" of me and of my words in an adulterous O, how dreadful will be the execution of this and faithless generation ; and now I am not judgment! Who shall abide it? And yet ashamed of him before the angels of God. we ask again, Who can escape it? No denier He confessed me before men ; and I confess of Christ, no rejecter of the mercy of the him before my heavenly Father. He opened | Gospel-none who is a lover of pleasure more his heart when I stood and knocked at the than a lover of God. door for admittance; and now I open the Mark, however, the true benignity of the kingdom of heaven to him, and all who, with Saviour's character, in the manner in which he him, are believers in my name. Behold I, announces the doom of the guilty. While he and the children whom thou hast given me. says of the righteous, " him will I confess," Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the he does not say of the wicked, though he kingdom prepared for you from the founda- means it, "him will I deny ;" but rather, "he tion of the world."
shall be denied." He declares the effect, Brethren, to be owned by the Son of man but conceals the instrument. He shews that, in that day, how great, how indescribable after all, judgment is his strange work, the privilege! It sets the seal for ever on while he delighteth in mercy.
And he acts your bliss; it frees you for ever from all as the executioner, whose sympathy with the temptation, from all danger, from all sorrow, sufferer compels him to turn away his eyes, from every shade of evil, from every possi- while his hand inficts the necessary and fatal bility of hárm; it leaves you nothing to wish stroke : " He shall be denied before the for, nothing to ask, as well as nothing to fear. angels of God."
Brethren, this day choose your service; and, stances ? Is this great Protestant nation fully alive to in so doing, choose your state for eternity. the encroachments of popery? Are the members of Will confess Christ, and be confessed by attacks of the man of sin, fully alive to it? There are,
our own Church, the strongest bulwarks against the you him ? or will you deny him, and take all the indeed, associations formed for the promulgation of bitter consequences ? Ponder the question the doctrines of the reformation, for stemming the tide in the retirement of your chamber; and God of popery that is set in,—and may they be abundantly
blessed in the furtherance of the objects they have in grant that you may never have to repent of view !—but the question does not seem to occupy the the decision you make.
Church at large; and yet it is one of momentous importance, which may involve our own temporal and
eternal happiness, as well as that of our children's JESUITISM.-No. VIII.
children to many generations.
At the late great Protestant meeting, held at the BEFORE closing these remarks on the subject of Jesuit Horns Tavern, Lambeth, the following printed stateism, it may be interesting to record an extraordinary ment of the progress of popery was distributed :prediction concerning this body, and which was re " Popery has been advancing, not only in wealth and garded to have been fully verified, when, as we have influence, honour and power,—it has been progressing already seen, by the almost unanimous consent of the in every direction, and by every means. At court, European powers, they were no longer permitted to where the required work cannot be efficaciously perexist. The prediction was by Bronswell, archbishop formed by deputy, we find that Roman Catholics appear of Dublin, in a sermon preached by him in 1558, when in person. The treasurer of the household is a Roman Laynez, general of the society, and the immediate suc Catholic; the Marchioness Wellesley, Lady Bedingcessor of Ignatius, had formed the Jesuits into a mere field, and the Earl of Fingal, all of whom have been political body.
about the court for some time, are Roman Catholics ; "There is lately risen up," says the archbishop, "a and several others of the same kind have been placed new fraternity, a society of men called Jesuits, who shall in minor situations. Many high offices in the state are seduce many people; they are actuated by the spirit now held either by Roman Catholics or pseudo-Protestof the Scribes and Pharisees; they shall employ all ants. In Ireland almost every legal situation which their talents to destroy the truth, and they shall be has fallen vacant during the existence of the present near succeeding. They are a generation who assume government has been given to a Roman Catholic. As all shapes ; with Pagans they will be Pagans ; with instances, we may mention that the master of the rolls, Jews, Jews; with the Reformed, Reformed; Atheists, the chief baron of the exchequer, the chief rememwith 'Atheists ; wholly to discover your views, your
brancer, the clerk of the lanaper-office, the attorneydesigns, your inclinations, the bottom of your licarts, general and solicitor-general, the lord lieutenant's to render you in the end like the fool who said in his confidential legal advisers, are all papists. In the heart, "there is no God.' This society will be spread colonies the same system of mal-administration preover the whole earth ; they will be admitted into the vails. The newly appointed governor of New South counsels of princes, who will not be the wiser for so
Wales is Sir Maurice O'Connell, whose very name doing; they will bewitch them so far as to oblige them speaks volumes. In 1792, there were not in the whole to lay open their hearts to them, to entrust them with of Great Britain 30 Roman Catholic chapels; there their greatest secrets, even without perceiving it. are now 519, and 13 building. In that year there was They shall be deceived in this sort for liaving forsaken not one single Roman Catholic college ; there are now the law of their God, neglected to follow the rules of 10, and 60 seminaries of education, besides chapelthe Gospel, and shut their eyes to the sins of their
schools. In the United States, although it is not 40 people; but in the end, to make known the righteous years since the first Catholic see was created, there is ness of his law, God shall speedily extirpate this so. now a Catholic population of 600,000 souls, under the ciety by the hands of those who protected it most, and government of the pope, an archbishop of Baltimore, who served themselves most by it; so that these men 12 bishops, and 341 priests. The number of churches shall become odious to all nations, and be in a worse is 401; mass-houses, 200; colleges, 19; seminaries for condition than the Jews. They shall no more have any young men, 9; theological seminaries, 5; novitiates fixed residence on earth, and at that time a Jew shall for Jesuits, monasteries, and convents, with academies find more favour than a Jesuit."'*
attached, 31; seminaries for young ladies, 30; schools There is, indeed, a very striking coincidence in of the sisters of charity, 29; an academy for coloured their history with the statements here made ; and it girls at Baltimore; a female infant-school; and seven had been well for the peace of nations, and for the Catholic newspapers. Thus in every part of the world cause of Divine truth, had Jesuitism never again popery is pursuing its triumphant course, trampling on been permitted to rear its head. After the downfall the consciences of mankind." of Napoleon, however, the restrictions laid upon it To this
may be added another important document, were in many places removed, and the Romish see was deserving serious consideration :too glad again to employ, as emissaries in its behalf, " Much has been said in many recent publications, the members of a society, which had been declared by a and at many important public meetings, concerning the sovereign pontiff to be illegal in its constitution, and power and alarming increase of popery in the British highly prejudicial to the interests of the Church. colonies; but not enouglı bas yet been stated on this
That Jesuitical influence is at this present mo serious and momentous subject. Not enough, because ment at work in our own country, and its great ob the people of England appear still too ignorant of the ject is to overthrow the constitution in Church and facts, and because they are still indifferent to the State, cannot admit of a rational doubt. Whatever national inconsistency of supporting abroad a religion restrictions may have been laid upon them as a body, which as a nation we profess to repudiate at home. it is certain that they have seminaries amongst us ;
We know not, therefore, that we could at the present that they are indefatigable in erecting places of wor time fulfil a more acceptable duty than to develope the ship; and they sometimes come forth from their lurk truth on this matter, so far as it is possible to do so ; ing places to join in public processions. Are the and we sincerely trust that the facts we have collected, people at large fully acquainted with these circum and shall enumerate, will assist in awakening the
public mind, and in restoring some portion of the • Histoire générale de la Naissance et du Progrès de la ancient Protestant spirit of the people. Compagne de Jésus, toine iv. p. 253. See also Ware's History of Ireland, p. 152, edit. 1705.
"In Upper Canada, it appears that there are thirty
Roman Catholic missionaries, to each of whom 501. a year is paid by the government, and to whose bishop a pension of 1001. per annum is assigned. Nor is this all. While the papists are allowed for Upper Canada one bishop, and for Lower Canada two, the Protestants are compelled, notwithstanding their petitions, to be content with the solitary Bishop of Montreal. Again, the grants to the papists are likely to be increased, in accordance with Lord Durham's suggestion; while the grant of 16,0001. to the Protestant clergy was, during the last session of parliament, withdrawn.
"In Lower Canada, the Protestants are about as numerous as the papists are in Upper Canada. Yet have the Protestants, though with this claim to have as much as the papists enjoy in the other colony-have the Protestants thirty missionaries allowed them? Far from it. Only seven Protestant rectories are supported: and if it be true that 10001. a-year is granted to the Protestant Bishop of Montreal, the papists are carefully kept in good humour, for the same sum is given to another of their prelates. But this 10001. a-year to the Romanists must not be considered all their allowance. Oh no! Popery in Lower Canada is the established religion ; popery in that colony has the tithes, and not only the tithes, but an immense territorial possession also.
"In Newfoundland the case is worse still. The Protestants here have nothing at all but a paltry grant from the English parliament of 3001. a-year for an archdeacon. And what has popery? Why 751. a year for a bishop from the British parliament. And is she content with that sum ? Are the popish advocates of the voluntary principle willing to support themselves ? Not at all. The population of the colony is equally divided ; half of the people being Protestants, and the other papists. But the latter class has succeeded in returning a majority to the House of Assembly, because Lord Glenelg in his wisdom thought proper to establish something like household suffrage, and therefore the mobs carry the elections as they please ; and the respectable portion of the community being Protestants, are excluded from all influ
The consequence is, that the sum of 7,0001. is annually granted to the popish bishop and priests, and not one shilling to any other religious ministers. Recently it appears that success has emboldened the bigoted and deluded colonists, and they have made arrangements for building a Roman Catholic cathedral, for which government has granted eight acres of land.
"In the Mauritius, the papists enjoy from the government funds 2,5201. a-year ; while the Protestants are disposed of with less than half that sum, namely, 1,0811.
" In Trinidad, popery has 2,4871. per annum, and Protestantism about a third as much, namely, 8601. only.
• In St. Lucia, there is one Protestant minister of the Gospel, and tlıree papists; in Gibraltar, the papists have 1961. a-year, the Protestants 465l. ; in Malta, popery reigns supreme and triumphant, while Protestantism has been so scandalously neglected, that our excellent and truly religious and gracious Queen Dowager, on visiting the island, instantly gave orders for the building of a noble Protestant church, to the erection and endowment of which she appropriated 8,0001.
" In the lonian Islands, the papists are allowed to share equally with the Protestants the bounty of the Crown: in Ceylon, the Cape of Good Hope, and many of the West India Islands which we have not tioned, this is also the case. In other places the government altogether neglects the spiritual wants of the colonists, and leaves the Protestants to the care of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
In New South Wales, popery received in 1833, 1,2001. In 1836 this sum had risen to 3,0401.; and besides this, the control of the system of education has been taken from the Protestant clergy, and the Irish Bible-mutilating system has been forced upon the colony, in compliance with the request of the late popish governor, Sir Richard Bourke.
"In India, in 1836, 1,6691. 14s. was paid to the papists, besides the stipends allowed to the popish missionaries for ministering to the Roman Catholic soldiers in the army.
"What will our readers say to these things ? Are they not too bad? If the reply be in the attirmative, we go on to say, that if this statement be deplorable, it contains not one-half of the whole truth. At present the parliamentary returns respecting some of the colonies are extremely defective and imperfect; and consequently a very considerable portion of the amounts paid to popery are unknown. For instance, the extent of aid given to popery in Jamaica, Barbadoes, Bermuda, Honduras, St. Vincent, Mont Serrat, Dominica, &c., is not as yet before parliament. But we trust that before the session is over, we shall be able still more fully to acquaint our readers with the facts of this important matter. In the meantime we ask them to view our statements as samples and specimens, rather than as complete and sufficient descriptions of the truth."
It is almost needless to state, that the aspect of the religious world is at present louring. The Church of England and Ireland is beset with many adversaries ; men of different religious views are leagued together in an unholy union to effect her overthrow ; and the descendants of those who preach the great doctrines of the reformation-nay, even some who preach those doctrines themselves, are not unwilling to league with papists and infidels-to meet them on committees io laud them on platforms—to espouse their cause at elections and to praise them as the champions of civil and religious liberty, as the maintainers of the rights of man. The grand bond which links together this motley assemblage is, I repeat, the overthrow of the Established Church. This is portentous ; still we have no fear. God will arise, and his enemies shall be scattered. Amidst much to excite alarm from within and from without, the Church is daily advancing in efficiency, in spirituality, in the promulgation of sound Gospel iruth. Never, at any former period, had she a greater hold on the affections of the right-minded part of the community. It may be verily believed that God is with her; and the question then immediately suggests itself, who can be against her? If she is destined to go through the fire, she will come forth the more purified; and, in the dispensations of a gracious God, will doubtless be the instrument in turning myriads to righteousness. While her articles, her homilies, her formularies, are unimpaired, she cannot but be the harbinger of truth. While she places the word of God in the hands of the people, and refers to that alone as the sole ground of their faith and hope, God will not desert her ; cast down she may be, but not ultimately destroyed. While she faithfully acts up to her principles, she must be a bulwark for the iruth; and while her ministers proclaim fearlessly, and her people adhere implicitly, to the doctrines of the Cross, she may rest secure that God will help her, and that right early.
Tau.
ence.
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS.—No. XIII.
BY MRS. RILEY. " I will curse your blessings."-Mal. ii. 2. How fearful is the state of either nation or individual against whom this decree of the Lord is gone forth,
• By the author of the Progress of Popery, from Protestant Magazine for March.