IT is said that a converted Indian was once heard to make use of words, in prayer, something to this effect: “Lord, do not let my confession of Christ be like the cloak I wear, which can be put on or thrown off as occasion may serve, but like the tattoo on my cheek, let it be seen under all circumstances―wherever I go, and whatever I do―seen through life, and till death.”
What a voice is this to many a heart in this land of gospel light and Christian privilege! This little paper may possibly be dropped into the hand of one who is acting in a way the very opposite of this, one who is seeking to be a kind of secret believer. He may, perhaps, be persuading himself that it is wiser to say nothing about either his exercises, or his faith in Christ, to anyone; for that he might not, in the long run, be able to maintain his profession; that he might again fall into sin; and that, in such a case, it would be far better, for the cause of Christianity, not to have made public profession of Christ’s name at all.
How sadly deceitful is the heart of man! Is it not possible, think you, for a man to deceive himself with such plausible reasoning as this, and to console himself’ with having great jealousy for the honor of Christ’s cause, whereas at the bottom it is nothing but cowardly self-consideration; nothing but one of the worst forms of human pride, dressed up though it may be in the garb of religious humility? The fact is, that old worldly friendships are clung to; the frowns or jeers of companions are feared; or it may be that these timid believers protested once loudly enough against the glaring inconsistencies of professing Christians, and now, remembering this, and conscious of their own weakness, they are not quite certain whether they might not actually be as bad themselves. Thus does Satan effectually close their mouths.
But how distinct and unmistakable are the words of the Saviour: “Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8,98Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:8‑9)). And again the Holy Ghost testifies: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9, 109That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9‑10)).
Now if being saved were a matter of a man’s own merit one could well understand his shrinking from making a profession; nay, more, it would either be presumptive ignorance or barefaced hypocrisy to do it. But to confess unto salvation in a scriptural way is simply to own that, though I was bad enough to be lost forever, Christ was good enough to come from heaven, as sent of God, to do all the work to save me. What a comfort it is, therefore, that in confessing Christ I have not to say one single good thing of myself―and for the best of reasons, that naturally there is not one single good thing to say―but only to magnify His name “who loved me and gave Himself for me” And is He not worthy?
“Who would hush the heaven-sent story
Of the One who came to die?”
But we must rise to heaven’s thoughts of the blessed Saviour if we would have power to confess Him, and not be mouth-stopped before the world; for as a mutinous crew would hate to hear the name of the captain they had murdered, so the world hates the very mention of Christ’s name. But the question comes, Shall we be silent? Can we? Shall not we who have tasted the sweetness of His love “tell to sinners round what a blest Saviour we have found”?―not in legal bondage, but by His constraining love; not by fleshly effort, but in a felt helplessness which hangs upon Him, and upon Him alone.
Can we say less, fellow-believer?
“The fowler’s snare is broken,
And loosed my captive wing,
And shall the bird be silent
Which Thou East taught to sing?”