Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 31
CHAP. XXXI. What uſe there is to be made of the reproaches the condition of Gods people is liable to.
IF it be thus, that the eſtate of Gods people is an eſtate liable to reproaches, then you that have any Uſe 1.inclination to the ways of God, examine whether you can take his way upon theſe terms: Can you be content to be made a by-word and reproach, and to have men caſt all maner of filth upon you? He is like to hold out in the ways of godlineſs, that can be content to be made a by-word and reproach for godlineſs, it is an argument that the ſoul is reſigned up to God for ever: The reaſon that ſome give of that order of the Law, concerning the ſervant that would ſerve his Maſter for ever, that he muſt come to the door and have his ear bored, was that he might give an evident demonſtration, that he was indeed willing to be his Maſters for ever, if he would be content to endure ſuch a reproach as that was Ut ſi non horreret ſervitutem horreret ſaltem ignominiam publicam. Ut multos habeat inſpectores & teſtes. Uſe 2.eſteemed to be amongſt the Jews: Boring the ear was a note of ignominy; His ear was bored, ſays Cajetan, to that end, that if he feared not perpetual ſervitude, be might at leaſt be afraid of publike ignominy, and therefore he was brought to the door, that he might have many to look on him, and be witneſſes of this his ſhame.
Secondly, it ſhould teach the godly to be accurate in their way: you live amongſt thoſe that will obſerve you, and caſt filth on your faces, take heed you give no juſt occaſion; it is enough we ſhall ſuffer without any juſt cauſe, let us take heed they take no filth out of our own boſoms, and caſt upon our faces, that will be grievous indeed, when our conſciences ſhall joyn with their reproaches. God threatens, Hoſ. 7. ult. as a great affliction, that his people ſhall be derided by the Egyptians, this ſhall be their deriſion in the land of Egypt; to have the wicked deride us, and that for our ſin, is a grievous miſery; Make me not a ſcorn, ſays David, to fools: It is a great evil for a profeſſor of Religion to make himſelf a ſcorn to the fools of the world; if they will reproach us, let it be for forwardneſs in Gods ways, and not for our ſin; ſin is onelyonly a juſt reproach, and therefore when Joſhua circumciſed the people, it is ſaid, He took away their reproach, therefore the place was called Gilgal, becauſe their reproach was rouled away; bodily uncircumciſion was a reproach, much more is ſpiritual uncircumciſion: Let us take heed we do not manifeſt any filth to them, being you live among The evii of a reviling tongue.thoſe that will revile you, whoſe tongues in Scripture are compared to three things, a Raſor, a Sword, and an Arrow: A Raſor that will take off every little hair, ſo a reviling tongue will not onelyonly take advantage of every groſs ſin, but the leaſt thing that another can hardly ſee. Secondly, it is compared to a Sword, a ſword that wounds, ſo the tongues of revilers do a great deal of miſchief: but a ſword can do miſchief onelyonly near hand, it cannot do miſchief afar off; and therefore, Thirdly, it is compared to an Arrow, that can do miſchief a great way off, as far as one can ſee a man, and ſo revilers do not onelyonly miſchief to a man in the Town where they live, but a great way off in other Towns: Now if mens tongues be Raſors, and Swords, and Arrows, the people of God had need take heed how they walk, and walk accurately, to give no juſt cauſe of reproach, that ſo the reproach may fall upon themſelves.
The third Uſe of the point is this, Gods people are a people lyable to reproach: Let thoſe who are ſuch, Uſe 3.from hence be exhorted, that they do not further this, I mean by reproaching one another; it is enough that the ſervants of God are lyable to reproach from the world, and from thoſe that are without, let not this be furthered by thoſe that are within, upon every pettiſh humor, or every diſcontent, preſently to be caſting filth one upon the face of another, this is a thing unbeſeeming Religion. Hereby you come to deprive your ſelves of that evidence of the truth of grace, from whence many of Gods ſervants receive ſo much comfort, love to Gods people: While they are in your way your hearts are towards them, but if they do croſs you, your hearts are as perverſe and froward, and appear as malicious as the hearts of any: So that the love you had to them, was becauſe they were in your way, and not becauſe they were the ſervants of God: Now if you have a heart, though you becroſſed by them, to put it up without caſting dirt upon their faces, your evidence will be ſtrengthned, that you love them though they be oppoſite to you. Do not you tear the fleſh of one another by reproaches? it is enough that the bryers and thorns of the wilderneſs do tear our fleſh and our names; let there not be bryers and thorns amongſt our ſelves to tear our fleſh. If children be caſting mire and dirt upon the faces of one another, how unbeſeeming is it? and if the father ſees them, how provoked is he to correct them both? And ſo if we upon ſome pettiſh mood, caſt dirt upon one another, expect ſome ſevere judgement from God: If children be caſting dirt upon one another, this is enough to make them leave, Your Father ſees you: And ſo you that are brethren of a Church, and are caſting filth upon one another, know your Father ſees you: We ſhould not caſt reproaches upon an Enemy. It is a notable ſpeech reported of one Memon, that was General of Darius Army, when he was fighting againſt Alexander, one of his Soldiers reproached Alexander; the General came to him and ſmote him, ſays he, I did not hire you to reproach Alexander, but to fight againſt him: If a Heathen cannot endure the reproaches of his enemy, how much leſs ſhould God endure his children reproaching one another? It was a brave ſpeech of Calvin, Though Luther call me a Devil, yet I will honor him as a ſervant of God: and ſo though thoſe that are our brethren, do caſt reproach upon us, we ſhould honor the grace of God in them, and not caſt reproach upon them again, for theſe reproaches are bitterneſs.
But the main Uſe of the point is an Uſe of Direction, Uſe 4.how to carry our ſelves under reproach; this is the eſtate of Gods people, it hath been ſo, and does continue ſo, and is like to continue ſo; it ſhould teach us, as to make account of them, ſo when they befal us, to behave our ſelves Chriſtianly under them. This is a leſſon of Uſe, wherefore in this leſſon of bearing reproaches, take theſe things.
Firſt, labor to bear your reproaches Chriſtianly, not Stoically, inſenſibly; for certainly they are afflictions: How to carry our ſelves under reproaches.1.A good name is a precious oyntment, and therefore reproaches, though never ſo wrongfully, are afflictions, and not to be born inſenſibly.
Secondly, not to bear them deſperately, not to 2.care what become of your Names, as many deſperate wretches will do. Let men ſpeak the worſt of me, I care not, I muſt appeal to God: Though it is true, Innocency is a good bulwark, yet we are not onelyonly to care to approve our ſelves to God, but we are to care to approve our ſelves to men; and not onelyonly to have a good eſteem in Heaven, but to have a good eſteem in the world, To provide things honeſt before all men, eſpecially amongſt the people of God, and the Churches of God; for to have an evil name, is a great judgement of God, Iſa. 65. 15. Ye ſhall leave your name for a curſe. For people to ſay, they care not what men ſay of them, it is a great evil, for by this it appears they are not affected with ſhame; and thoſe that are not affected with ſhame before others, they are deprived of a ſpecial bridle that ſhould keep them from evil, and a ſpecial means to further repentance. And beſides, it is an argument there is no worth, no good in thee who art ſo careleſs; thoſe who have any true worth, will be careful to preſerve it, but others are deſperate: As a man that hath a good garden, full of good flowers and herbs, will be careful to pull up every weed, but if the place be a dunghil, or over-grown, he neglects it: Wherefore let us labor to behave our ſelves Chriſtianly, not careleſly, deſperately under reproach.
Again, we muſt not carry our ſelves paſsionately 3.under reproach; though it is true, it is good to be The evil of being Paſsionate under reproaches.ſenſible of the wrong done to our names, more then the wrong done to our eſtates, yet neither are the wrongs to our names nor to our eſtates to be born paſſionately. There are five evils follow upon this diſtemper of heart.
Firſt, there is a great diſturbance to the ſpirit, and 1.that is a greater evil to have the heart diſturbed, then to have a great deal of dirt caſt upon us: To have a diſturbance within the body, is worſe then a violent motion without.
Secondly, we are made lyable to diſcover a great deal of evil in us, that though we are unjuſtly reproached, 2.yet we may diſcover ſo much evil, as to be a juſt cauſe of reproach.
Thirdly, we do feed the humor of thoſe that reproach, they have part of their end to ſee us ſo diſturbed.3.
Fourthly, we ſhew the baſeneſs of our ſpirits, to be 4.ſo ſoon put out of frame. Seneca ſpeaking of the complaint Qui vocem niſi querelas animi nauſeantis. Sen.of thoſe that are under reproach, They are, ſays he, the complaint of ſqueamiſh ſpirits.
Fifthly, it is a means to make others to think we are guilty: There is no means whereby I would think 5.one were guilty of what he is reproached, as that, namely, a mighty inordinate paſſion at hearing of thoſe things. If you hear a couple diſputing, commonly he that wants arguments for his caſe, will fall into giving ill language, and paſſion, and therefore thoſe men that have power over their paſſion in reaſoning, do what they can to bring thoſe they reaſon withal into paſsion, for then they have them at their will: And ſo thoſe that are brought into paſsion, when they are reproached, gives a great ſuſpition of the weakneſs of their cauſe, and are thought to be guilty.
Fourthly, let us not carry our ſelves revengefully under our reproaches, not to deſire the reproachers 4.might have an evil name in the ſame kinde: It is ordinary for people that are reproached to do thus, but many though they dare not ſay ſo, yet ſecretly they would be willing that thoſe that do reproach them, might have an evil name. But where have we thoſe Innocency ſeeks not revenge.that do labor to clear the innocency of thoſe that do reproach them? it would be the glory of Chriſtians, to be ſo far from revenge to thoſe that reproach them, as to clear their innocency, and to ſpeak well of them as occaſions ſerve, as the Apoſtle ſays, We being defamed, we intreat, and are not glad if they fall into any evil: Many people if any have ſpoken evil of them, and they fall into evil, how does it pleaſe them? Let us ſuffer never ſo much, God forbid we ſhould think the evil of our reproach ſo great, as to be glad to have it wiped away with any ſin againſt God: Such and ſuch have ſinned ſuch and ſuch ſins, and by thoſe ſins my reproach is wiped away, and therefore I am glad: God forbid we ſhould have the wiping away of our reproaches at ſo dear a rate. We read in Hoſea 4. of the great charge that was laid upon the Prieſts, they eat up the ſin of the people, becauſe the Prieſts had ſome advantage by the ſins that the people committed, for they brought Sacrifices for their ſin, and the Prieſts had part, upon this they ſet their hearts, upon the ſin of the people; this is an abominable thing, to be glad of the ſin of another, becauſe of any advantage that comes to us by it. True it is, God ſhall have a great deal of glory by clearing the innocency of his ſervants, but we muſt not deſire that God may have his glory this way by the commiſſion of any ſin, nor rejoyce in ſuch a way of Gods glory.
But the ſpecial and moſt ordinary revenge in the bearing of reproaches, is reviling again, ſpeaking evil The danger of reviling again.for evil, if they call you one ill name, you will call them another, this is unbeſeeming Chriſtians: And conſider what evil is in it.
Firſt, this is that which is moſt oppoſite to the Spirit I.of Jeſus Chriſt, and the Spirit of Gods people; that place you know, 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again; if you profeſs your ſelves to be Chriſts, you muſt not revile again when you are reviled: And ſo the ſpirits of Gods ſervants, as St. Paul and the Martyrs, when they were reviled, they would not give ill language again.
Again, by reviling you come to harden thoſe that reproach you in their ſin; when they ſin and ſee the 2.ſame ſin in you, they think they do not worſe then you, ſo they come to be hardned in their ſin, and you come to be guilty of their ſin, you turn their ſin to be yours, becauſe you harden them in theirs.
Thirdly, you by this means ſtir up more corruption, and more ſin; whereas thoſe that know what ſin 3.means, and are tender of it, they ſhould by all means labor to ſuppreſs it, and beat it down, as when a neighbors houſe is on fire, we will labor what we can to quench it, and not to put more fire to it; ſhall we have more care of our neighbors houſe, then of our neighbors ſoul? his heart is on fire, and his tongue is on fire, and will you bring more fire? this is abominable.
Fourthly, you come by this means to adde your ſin to his ſin: What, is not God diſhonored enough 4.by his reviling, but muſt you adde to Gods diſhonor?
Again fithly, here you ſhew your exceeding folly, 5.that you do not apprehend a greater evil in the evil of ſin, then in the evil of ſuffering: for if we did apprehend the evil of ſuffering to be leſs then the evil of ſin, we would never labor to deliver our ſelves from the evil of ſuffering by the evil of ſin; let a man come and caſt dirt in your face, the worſt that can be in this is an evil of ſuffering at firſt, till you make your ſelves guilty, but how will you deliver your ſelves by the evil of ſin? what ignorance is this? Are you acquainted with the ways of God? Is this the way to clear your ſelves, by defiling your ſelves more? That filth that comes out of you, defiles you more then that which is caſt upon you from without.
Again further, another evil that comes from this 6.reviling, is this, you ſhew a vile, baſe ſpirit, as if you had no other means to deliver you from an ill name, but an ill tongue; thoſe that know any excellency that they have in themſelves, will know that there are a great many other ways to deliver themſelves from an ill name, rather then an evil tongue. But you are put to your ſhifts, you have evil caſt upon Neque prudentiae quicquam in ſe eſſe, nec fiduciae obſtendit, qui contumclia afficitur. Sen. in Sap. non cad. injur.you, and you have no way to deliver your ſelves from this evil but by your reviling tongue. It is a ſign there is no excellency in you, nothing but baſeneſs in you. Seneca ſays of thoſe that are diſorderly affected with reproaches that are caſt upon them, They ſhew that there is no wiſdom, nor no confidence of any excellency in themſelves to oppoſe that evil.
Again, hereby you come to be injurious to your ſelves, you deprive your ſelves from any help of 7.God to clear your names: If you had hearts to commit your ſelves to God, he would provide for you; but when you ſeek to clear your ſelves this way, you put your ſelves from any care that God ſhould have to provide for you. That we read of David, Pſal. 38. 12, 13, 14, 15. is very obſervable, They which ſeek my hurt, ſaith he, ſpeak miſchievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long, but I as a deaf man heard not; and again, verſe 14. I was as a man that heareth not; but mark verſe 15. In thee O Lord do I hope, thou wilt hear: The leſs he heard, the more confidence he had in God that he would hear, and could the more comfortably commit his cauſe to him; but if he had been too quick to hear himſelf, God would not readily have heard for him, and what had he got by that? Now by all this you cannot but be convinced in your thoughts, that it is a great evil to revile again, and you that have been guilty of this, let your hearts ſmite you, and know what cauſe you have to be humbled before the Lord.
But is it poſſible not to revile again? Who can but Queſt.do ſo when they come and give ſuch ill language, ſo injurious, ſo falſe?
Thoſe that have the Spirit of Chriſt can do otherwiſe. Anſw.Thoſe that know the evil of ſin to be a greater evil then the evil of ſuffering, can do this. And thoſe that are wiſe, and will not miſchief themſelves, can do this. Can any by reproaches force you to take a knife and cut your ſelves! If they force you to commit ſin, they force you to worſe. Certainly you think every man is in bondage; conſider what miſerable bondage men ſhould be in, for to be in the power of their enemies, when they liſt to make them to miſchief themſelves, can there be any worſe bondage? for an enemy to draw any body where he will, is not ſo much, but to make me to hurt my ſelf, this is a Nolim te…ū in hoc genus certamiais deſcendere, in quo qi vincitur, ipſo victore eſt melier.great and a ſore bondage indeed. Wherefore there is no contending with reproaches this way by reproaching again, here the overcomer is the loſer. When Demoſthenes was reproached by one, I will not, ſaith he, ſtrive with thee in this kinde of fight, in which he that is overcome is the better man.
Fiftly, take heed you be not hindred in your way, or 5.break off your courſe when you are reproached: what though there be filth caſt in the way, ſhall we decline our way? though the clouds do ariſe, and darken the light of the Sun, does the Sun ceaſe in its courſe, and ceaſe ſhining becauſe it is darkned? no, it goes on its courſe and ſhines till it breaks forth: ſo you are going on, ſhining in a good converſation, ſome foreign. Epict. Enchirid. c. 27.come and caſt reproach upon your way, and darkens your courſe; What, ſhall you ceaſe? No, go on, and in time you will break through the clouds. Was there ever ſuch a fool as to be jeered out of his inheritance? A man hath an inheritance worth a thouſand pounds a year, and a company ſhall go and ſcorn him, and contemn him, and reproach him, and he ſhall be rather willing to part with his inheritance then to be thus jeered; Was there ever any ſuch a fool? Is not our way of Religion a greater inheritance to us, then an inheritance of a thouſand pounds a year? If you ſhould be moved to go out of your way upon reproaches, know that this will be infinite more reproach to you, then if all the men of the world did caſt reproach upon you; this will reproach you to your conſcience, and that before God and all the Angels and Saints, before all Gods people. And then beſides, this will further reproach you before wicked men too, you will be the more ſcorned and vilified.
I remember a ſpeech of a Heathen Philoſopher, If any man begin to embrace Philoſophy, he muſt be reproached; They will ſay, What, we ſhall have a Philoſopher of you by and by, what pride and conceitedneſs is this? But do you ſtill go on in your way, and thoſe who reproached you before, will after admire you: But if you fall off, after you have begun (not being able to bear reproach) This, ſays he, deſerves a double reproach: Your reproachers will reproach you much more, they will ſay, Here is a time-ſerver, who will do any thing as the times ſerve for his turn. None ſo much contemned as Apoſtates. Thoſe that oppoſed Nehemiah, and ſought to hinder his work, did it to reproach him, if he had left his work for reproaching, they would have reproached him much more: How would this cut you to the heart, that thoſe that did reproach you, if you go out of the way, ſhould reproach you much more? Conſider, does this beſeem the ſpirit of a Chriſtian? Had you ever any experimental knowledge of the evil of ſin, or any good in the ways of God? Will this be an anſwer before God, when you come to give an account why you went out of your way? Lord, I ſuffered ſo much reproach, I could not bear it. And again, will it not be juſt with God, for to ſuffer you to fall into ſome vile ſcandalous ſin to be reproached for, after another maner? becauſe that you would not ſuffer reproach for his name, you ſhould ſuffer reproach for your ſin. Theſe are the things we are to be warned of.