shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before
my Father which is in heaven_." There's the "I will" of confession.

Now, that's the next thing that takes place after a man is saved. When
we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb, the next thing is to get
our mouths opened. We have to confess Christ here in this dark world,
and tell His love to others. We are not to be ashamed of the Son of
God.

A man thinks it a great honor when he has achieved a victory that
causes his name to be mentioned in the English Parliament, or in the
presence of the Queen and her court. How excited we used to be during
the war, when some general did something extraordinary, and someone
got up in Congress to confess his exploits; how the papers used to
talk about it! In China, we read, the highest ambition of the
successful soldier is to have his name written in the palace or temple
of Confucius. But just think of having your name mentioned in the
kingdom of heaven by the Prince of Glory, by the Son of God, because
you confess Him here on earth! You confess Him here; He will confess
you yonder.

If you wish to be brought into the clear light of liberty, you must
take your stand on Christ's side. I have known many Christians go
groping about in darkness, and never get into the clear light of the
kingdom, because they were ashamed to confess the Son of God. We are
living in a day when men want a religion without the cross. They want
the crown, but not the cross. But if we are to be disciples of Jesus
Christ, we have to take up our crosses _daily_--not once a year, or on
the Sabbath, but daily. And if we take up our crosses and follow Him,
we shall be blessed in the very act.

I remember a man in New York who used to come and pray with me. He had
his cross. He was afraid to confess Christ. It seemed that down at the
bottom of his trunk he had a Bible. He wanted to get it out and read
it to the companion with whom he lived, but he was ashamed to do it.
For a whole week that was his cross; and after he had carried the
burden that long, and after a terrible struggle, he made up his mind.
He said, "I will take my Bible out tonight and read it." He took it
out, and soon he heard the footsteps of his mate coming upstairs.

His first impulse was to put it away again, but then he thought he
would not--he would face his companion with it. His mate came in, and
seeing him at his Bible, said,

"John, are you interested in these things