life, and at his death, did most maliciously sting. Herein left the Lord a pattern of heroic patience to every Christian who must not think to escape, when their great Master himself was wounded with the blows of malicious tongues. For the more conformable any one is to Christ, and the more zealous a follower he is of his steps, the more is he insulted by false and deceitful tongues. This appears plainly from the example of holy David, who was most miserably plagued by slanderers, as he himself bitterly complains in these follow ing Psalms: iii, iv, x, xii, xv, xxxi, 1, lii, lv, Iviii, Ixiv, Ìxix, eii, cxx, and cxl.

2. Nay, there is hardly one of all the prophets of old, who did not feel these deadly arrows shot against them, by murdering tongues; of which Jeremiah makes mention, saying: "Their false tongues are murderous ar. rows shot out: with their mouth they speak peaceably to their neighbor, but in their heart they lie in wait to destroy." Wherefore all honest hearts ought to take heed not to be defiled by back biters, but to be warded against them. For as he that handles a man seized with a leprosy, or a high infectious distem. per, must expect to be also infected so he that gives ear to lying tongues, too often catches the same distemper; the poison of slandering insensibly work. ing itself into all those that do not betimes fly from it. Now since a Christian is forbidden to retort evil for evil, as that which agrees not with christian faith; there is no other counsel hence, but that by a conscience void of offence, he must fetch his comVOL. II. New Serise.

fort from those divine oracles, the Lord has furnished him with for that purpose.

3. Let your first comfort be the example of Christ and of all saints. For it fares no worse with us herein, than with Christ our head, and with all that have ever been most dear to him. Nothing of this kind has befallen us, which has been not before in all ages undergone by them. And since the examples of others have generally a powerful influence on our lives, and readily offer themselves to our remembrance in time of trouble and tribulation; we may therefore improve all those examples for an encouragement to bear our treatment also with patience and cheerfulness, for the sake of the joy that usually springs up out of the reproach of the cross. Look then upon the Prince of your salvation, look upon the lives of all the saints of old, such as have been the greatest lights in their generation.

4. Consider, particularly, the example of Moses, who esteemed the reproach of Christ better than the crown of Egypt; and who, by reason of the continual contradictions he underwent, is said to have been a "man the most afflicted* above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." And what shall we say of David? He was truly in his time, the very mark, as it were, at which all the false tongues in the land shot their murderous arrows. Wherefore

* Our version renders it, "Now the man Moses was very meek;" but in many other places, the same word which here occurs, is rendered by afflicted; the original bearing both significations. The practice of meekness is furthered by affliction. Conf. Ainsworth, in h. l. 21

to a man.

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"mine enemies, (said he) revile me all the day long and they that are mad upon me, are sworn together against me." That is, they affronted him daily with the reproach of his misery, turning him, as it were, into a proverb, and offering him the most heinous indignity that can be offered And what shall we say of Job? How was he upbraided by his friends, and grieved with their tongues! And how fell Daniel, that holy prophet, into the mouths of the ungodly, as into an open sepulchre, yea, as into a den of lions! but how powerfully did the Lord deliver Moses, and Job, and Daniel! All these are gone before you, and their examples being duly con. sidered, will stir up in you a spirit of holy emulation, and draw you into the same way of the cross by which they entered into the kingdom of God. See and behold, there goes your Lord Jesus before you, pursued with the curses and revilings of the pharisee! See, there goes Mo. ses before, and the faction of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram fol. lowing behind with execrations in their months, and stones in their hands, to rid themselves of him! See, there goes David be. fore in sore trials, and Shimei behind, cursing his king! See, there goes the society of the apostles of our Lord before, and a faith. less multitude behind stopping their ears, and running madly upon them!

5. But then it is not enough, slightly only, and superficially, to reflect on the example of the saints: but we must learn also to be followers of them, when we are tried as they were, copying in every tribulation after

their meekness and patience. For, tell me, how shall meekness appear, or how shall patience be exercised, if you be not contradicted; or there be none to deride, slander, and vilify you? Wherefore you must now pa tiently take up your cross with them, and meekly follow the Lord Christ in the steps he has left you. This argues a Chris tian generosity, and a temper that becomes a disciple of the blessed Jesus. This is also agreeable to your calling; being indeed called to suffer with your Savior, not to avenge your. self, not to return evil for evil; not to revile again being reviled, not to threaten being slandered, but quietly to commit your cause to him that judgeth righteously. In this mauner you must, out of the good treasure of your heart, bring forth good words for the bad which you have received; because evil tongues must give account in the day of judgment, of every idle word they have spoken. And this, certainly, will at the last day prove a burden heavy enough. Leave all therefore to the Lord, to do as he pleases, who will not fail to do right. Recompense and vengeance be longs to him. The ungodly may boast never so much, and be nev. er so confident in their own inventions, yet shall their foot slide in time. But as for you, O Christian, fix your eye on the Lord Jesus, and the lamb-like frame of his mind. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so opened he not his mouth."

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reproached for the name Christ, for the Spirit of glory cresteth upon you." Remember also, that it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth; that he sit alone and keep silence, when he hath any laid upon him to bear; yea, that he put his mouth in the dust, and wait in hope; and that he give his cheek to him that smiteth him, when he is filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

8. You are further to learn, that the persecution of the tongue is a hellish storm, which will soon blow over. Now as a traveller is not disheartened at any stormy and tempestuous weather he is like to meet with upon the road, but provides himself the more for it so let our spiritual pilgrim, in his weary steps towards the holy land, or the new Jerusalem, be never cast down by storms and dangers, by sweat and toil incident to travellers; but let him go on in hope, and continue faithful to his journey's end; when the contentment and delight after all his tiresome paces, shall be infinitely sweet and transcendent, and the fearful wilderness, wherein he has been tempted for a while, lead him at last to the glorious sight and enjoyment of his Savior.

thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted" at present! Is it a strange thing that has happened unto you? What is more common to a traveller, than to be overtaken by foul and showery weather? A plodding diligence will for all that bring him home safe and sound.

9. The world spend their time in mirth and laughter, and make every one a gazing-stock,

that looks but with an earnest aspect upon the dalliances and frolics of profane men, and drops a serious word in favor of virtue. What is this day the fate of one good Christian, may be to-mor. row the fate of another, according as the humour of the world works, who lets none pass uncensured that is not for their

turn.

After a true Christian is once exposed to public contempt, every one flings dirt at him, till the spirit of lying and slandering has wearied them out at last; and then they turn the edge of their tongues upon the next that comes in their way. Well, say they, let our hearts cheer us in the day of our youth, and let all care be drowned in laughter, and any serious speech be ban. ished from our company. And because the righteous upbraids us with offending the law by our doings, we will examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience."

10. The best method a Christian can take in all these storms, is to be quiet under them, and to keep the mind free from anger and bitterness. He that thinks every offensive word to be a stain to his character, which ought to be wiped off carefully, will often render things the worse by it. Hence it remains, that the most effectual way to stop the fury of slanderous tongues is to yield to it for the present, and patiently wait till time itself sets things to rights again. He that will dispute every thing at the sword's point, as it were, is like him that has been stung by a bee, and being thereby put in a passion, runs himself headlong upon the whole bee hive to be reveng

ed, by turning it quite upside down; which he bad better not have done, than to feel the smart afterwards which must needs attend so rash an attempt. And does not the fire of malicious tongues burn the fiercer, when we seek to quench it by too hasty efforts? And does it not even convert that into fuel, which was designed to diminish the flame?

11. A tongue that is set on fire of hell is like that serpent, which, as some tell us, brings forth seven other heads when you cut off but one in order to destroy it. Thus a wicked tongue is so far from being restrained by contradiction, that it will spread the farther by it, and broach seven lies instead of one. Whereas he that is deaf to popular rumours, and not easily alarmed at every little noise, will not only better repel the darts of malignant tongues, but enjoy also a calm and unshaken tranquillity both of soul and body, in the midst of all the boisterous storms of the world; this being the sweet reward, which usually attends a patient and submissive frame of mind. This is a truly noble and magnanimous method to overcome the worst of enemies, and to get a full conquest at last over the most stubborn and untractable temper. He that rejects this heroic meekness of soul, sets himself entirely out of God's guard, and, whilst he endeavors eagerly to save his name and reputation, must needs be more harrassed with perpetual alarms of malignant tongues, inflamed by the common enemy of souls.

Besides this, there are some other particular reasons, why the Lord permits his chil

dren to be insulted by sharp and virulent tongues. When David in his sore troubles was reviled and cursed by Shimei, one of the basest of men, he said no more than "let him curse, for the Lord hath bidden him." And what other reason can be assigned for this, but that the Lord hereby seeks to preserve his children, lest they exalt themselves above measure, on account of such eminent gifts as have been conferred upon them; and at the same time improve themselves more and more in the practice of mutual love, mildness, and humility, as the gospel requires? What is said by David of Shimei, that he was bidden to curse his king, is expressed by Job in more general terms: "He poureth contempt upon princes." And who is able to fathom here all the mysterious depths of divine judgments? the carnal mind does not like at all to be reviled, to be insulted, to be under-valued. To become a fool in this world, though it be recommended by an apostle as a mean for attaining true wisdom; yet is it not liked now a-days, because it is too opposite to self-love. Pride and self love naturally adhere to us : nay, it is an evil which by carnal generation is woven, as it were, into the very heart and interior faculties of the soul, whence it taints all the actions proceeding from it. Every one aspires now after greatness and dignities, titles, and preferments. Every one loves now to be extolled, and to be much made of, to be esteemed and admired. Alas! It is this self-conceit, this natural self-love, which, having once besotted mankind, propagates now nothing but error and folly