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<p>Some honour was done to Christ by these rulers: for they <i>believed on him</i>, were convinced that he was sent of God, and received his doctrine as divine; but they did not do him honour enough, for they had not courage to own their faith in him. Many professed more kindness for Christ than really they had; these had more kindness for him than they were willing to profess. See here what a struggle was in these rulers between their convictions and their corruptions.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. See the power of the word in the convictions that many of them were under, who did not wilfully shut their eyes against the light. They <i>believed on him</i> as Nicodemus, received him as a teacher come from God. Note, The truth of the gospel has perhaps a better interest in the consciences of men than we are aware of. Many cannot but approve of that in their hearts which yet outwardly they are shy of. Perhaps these chief rulers were <i>true</i> believers, though very weak, and their faith like smoking flax. Note, It may be, there are more good people than we think there are. Elijah thought he was left alone, when God had seven thousand faithful worshippers in Israel. Some are really better than they seem to be. Their faults are known, but their repentance is not; a man’s goodness may be concealed by a <i>culpable</i> yet pardonable weakness, which he himself truly repents of. The <i>kingdom of God comes not</i> in all <i>with</i> a like <i>observation</i>; nor have all who are good the same faculty of appearing to be so.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. See the power of the world in the smothering of these convictions. They believed in Christ, but because of the Pharisees, who had it in their power to do them a diskindness, they durst not confess him for fear of being excommunicated. Observe here, 1. Wherein they failed and were defective; They did not <i>confess</i> Christ. Note, There is cause to question the sincerity of that faith which is either afraid or ashamed to show itself; for those who believe with the heart ought to <i>confess with the mouth</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Rom.10.9" href="/passage/?search=Rom.10.9">Rom. 10:9</a>. 2. What they feared: being <i>put out of the synagogue</i>, which they thought would be a disgrace and damage to them; as if it would do them any harm to be expelled from a synagogue that had made itself a synagogue of Satan, and from which God was departing. 3. What was at the bottom of this fear: <i>They loved the praise of men</i>, chose it as a more valuable good, and pursued it as a more desirable end, than the <i>praise of God</i>; which was an implicit idolatry, like that (<a class="bibleref" title="Rom.1.25" href="/passage/?search=Rom.1.25">Rom. 1:25</a>) of <i>worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator</i>. They set these two in the scale one against the other, and, having weighed them, they proceeded accordingly. (1.) They set the praise of men in one scale, and considered how good it was to give praise to men, and to pay a deference to the opinion of the Pharisees, and receive praise from men, to be commended by the chief priests and applauded by the people as good sons of the church, the Jewish church; and they would not confess Christ, lest they should thereby derogate from the reputation of the Pharisees, and forfeit their own, and thus hinder their own preferment. And, besides, the followers of Christ were put into an <i>ill name</i>, and were looked upon with contempt, which those who had been used to honour could not bear. Yet perhaps if they had known one another’s minds they would have had more courage; but each one thought that if he should declare himself in favour of Christ he should stand alone, and have nobody to back him; whereas, if any one had had resolution to <i>break the ice</i>, he would have had more <i>seconds</i> than he thought of. (2.) They put the praise of God in the other scale. They were sensible that by confessing Christ they should both give praise to God, and have praise from God, that he would be pleased with them, and say, <i>Well done</i>; but, (3.) They gave the preference to the praise of men, and this turned the scale; sense prevailed above faith, and represented it as more desirable to stand right in the opinion of the Pharisees than to be accepted of God. Note, Love of the praise of men is a very great prejudice to the power and practice of religion and godliness. Many come short of the glory of God by having a regard to the applause of men, and a value for that. Love of the praise of men, as a by-end in that which is good, will make a man a hypocrite when religion is in fashion and credit is to be got by it; and love of the praise of men, as a base principle in that which is evil, will make a man an apostate when religion is in disgrace, and credit is to be lost for it, as here. See <a class="bibleref" title="Rom.2.29" href="/passage/?search=Rom.2.29">Rom. 2:29</a>.</p>
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