Ralph Erskine (The World's Verdict of Christ and His Followers), Sermons 1:225-226:
If the world be set upon speaking reproachfully of religion, let us be the more engaged to speak favourably of it. Every believer should be both a witness and an advocate for his religion and for the truth. When you hear how God’s name is abused, his people reproached, his truth contradicted, have you never a word to say for him? Whoever is ashamed of him now, of him will he be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father. If we hear our dearest friends in the world slandered, we will be ready to appear for their vindication: and have we no resentment of the contumely and contempt cast upon God, and Christ, and the scriptures of truth? If we fear we are not able to speak for the truth as we ought, we may take encouragement from that promise: “It shall be given you in the same hour what ye shall speak.” Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings he can ordain strength, and so still the adversary and avenger.
If the world be set upon speaking reproachfully of religion, let us be the more engaged to speak favourably of it. Every believer should be both a witness and an advocate for his religion and for the truth. When you hear how God’s name is abused, his people reproached, his truth contradicted, have you never a word to say for him? Whoever is ashamed of him now, of him will he be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father. If we hear our dearest friends in the world slandered, we will be ready to appear for their vindication: and have we no resentment of the contumely and contempt cast upon God, and Christ, and the scriptures of truth? If we fear we are not able to speak for the truth as we ought, we may take encouragement from that promise: “It shall be given you in the same hour what ye shall speak.” Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings he can ordain strength, and so still the adversary and avenger.
