Moses Choice, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. What we ſhould do, that we may be able to bear reproach.
BUt you will ſay, theſe arguments may move us to do it, and convince us we ſhould do it, but how ſhall we do it?1.
Firſt, be ſure to keep conſcience clear, that that Bene ſibi cōſcius falſis non debet moveri necaſtimare plus pō deris in alieno eſſe convitto, quā in ſuo teſtimonio. Ambr. off. l. 1. c. 5. Qui ſibi nihil conſcius eſt, plurimum laetabitur, itá ut quo amjorem dixeris tribulationem, hoc majorem dicas voluptatem. Chryſoſt Hom: in Acta 14.do not upbraid thee, be careful of what you do, and then you need not be much careful of what men ſay; if conſcience do not reproach you, reproach without will not much move you; conſciences teſtimony for thee, is more then ten thouſand ſlanders againſt thee: As the ſtorms and winds without do not move the earth, but vapors within that cauſes earthquakes: As Ambroſe ſays of David, he was not much troubled with Shimei's railing, becauſe his Non ergo movebatur convitiis qui abundabat bonorum operū ō ſcientia. Ambr de off l. 1. c 6 Conſcia mens recti famae men dacia ridetconſcience did abound with good works. If thou canſt ſay with Job, Chap. 27. 6. My heart ſhall not reproach me as long as I live, thou art ſafe enough from the evil of reproach.
Secondly, if you be failing in any thing, begin with your ſelves before any begin with you, accuſe your ſelves before God firſt, ſo ſome interpret that place in Pſal. 119. I am wiſer then my enemies; though my enemies are witty, and do plot, and their malice 2.do help them with invention, yet I am wiſer, I can finde out the ways of my own heart, and my own evils, better then all my enemies.
Thirdly, Chriſtians ſhould exerciſe themſelves in great things, in the things of God, and Chriſt, and Si magnanimus fueris nunqu ā judicabis tibi contumcliā fieri. Sen, de. 4. virt.eternity, and labor to greaten their ſpirits in a holy maner, and be above reproach. It was a ſpeech of Seneca, Men that know their greatneſs, are not troubled with reproaches, he will think himſelf above reproach; And therefore, if our ſpirits be truly greatned (not with pride, but with the exerciſing of our ſpirits in things that are above the world) reproaches would be nothing in our eyes. It is a notable Si quem verbis lcvibus nugiſ que delectari, ac agre ferre ſe contemni, ſcito hunc non eſſe perfectum etiamſi miracula faciat.expreſſion that St. John hath againſt the evil tongue of Diotrephes, Ep. 3. ver. 10. He prates againſt us with malicious words, in the Original it is, he trifles, although his words were malicious, and Diotrephes a great man, yet all was but trifles, ſo high was St. Johns ſpirit above them. Aquinas gives two figns of a weak ſpirited man; one, that he delights in light and fooliſh words; a ſecond, that he cannot endure contempt; ſuch a man, ſays he, although he ſhould work miracles, yet he is beneath the perfection of vertue, his ſpirit hath no true greatneſs in it.
The ſinking of the heart under reproaches, or to be put out of the way by them, argues too vile a puſillanimity, ſuch a poor low ſpirit as is not conſiſtent with the true magnanimity of a Chriſtian. *Non ſolū magna, ſed etiā modica, interdū & nihila (ut ita dicam) dejiciunt: Modica enim in rebus ſunt vani loquorum hominum, qui ergo hujuſmodi verba timent metu eorum vel mala facientes, vel bona facere dimittentes, omnium hominum imbecilliores ſunt. Hi ſunt milites, qui non vento valido, ſed levi ſibilo tenuiſsimoque ſuſurro dejiciuntur atque vincuntur. Hi ridiculofiores ſunt & in numero bellatorum nullatenus habendi, nec hominum nomine cenſendi, qui vorbis quae Hecdum dicta ſunt, quaſi vento qui nondum flavit, depulſi cadunt, bona facere, vel mala dimittere metu hujuſmodi non audentes. Guliel. Pariſ. de virtutibus.Gulielmus Pariſienſis in his Treatiſe De virtutibus, hath notable Expreſſions to this purpoſe, Little things, ſaith he, yea meer nothings caſt down poor weak ſpirited men. The words of vain men are ſmall things, whoſoever fears ſuch words ſo as to do evil, or to leave off good, are the weakeſt of men; theſe are like unto Soldiers who are caſt down and overcome, not with ſome violent ſtrong tempeſt, but with ſome ſmall weak puff of winde, theſe are the more ridiculous and not to be reckoned amongſt Warriers; nay, they are not to be reckoned amongſt men, who fall off for fear of words, which yet have not been ſpoken, as if a man ſhould fall for fear of the wind which yet blows not, ſuch are thoſe who dare not do good, or leave evil, for fear of reproaches.
Fourthly, another means is to make your moan to God, and lay your caſe before him, as Hezekiah, when Rabſhekah came and reviled God, and the people of God, he went and ſpread the letter before God, and made his moan before God; If we can do ſo, there will be that ſatisfaction to our ſouls that is unſpeakable, and that will be a great argument of our innocency; Many will ſay, Oh they are innocent, and God knows their hearts, but can you go and make your moan before God when you are reproached, and acquaint God with the cauſe, and receive refreſhment that way, as Job 16. 20. My friends ſcorn me, but mine eyes pour out tears to God: And David, Pſal. 109. 1, 2. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praiſe, for the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitfal are opened againſt me, they have ſpoken againſt me with a lying tongue; they have compaſſed me about with words of hatred, they are mine adverſaries, but I prayer; for ſo the words are in the Original, not I give my ſelf, but onelyonly thus, but I prayer; as if he ſhould ſay, as for my part, all that I do to help my ſelf withal, is to pray to God, and make my moan: Others have their evil tongues to help them, and run to this witneſs and that witneſs, to ſeek to help themſelves, but I prayer, Pſal. 57. 2, 3. I cry unto God moſt high, he ſhall ſend from heaven and ſave me from reproach of him that would ſwallow me up, Selah; God ſhall ſend forth his mercy and truth: A carnal heart hath no way to deliver it ſelf, but by reproaches again, by running up and down from one witneſs to another, but a gracious heart hath other ways to help it ſelf, it cryes to God moſt high, and looks for help from Heaven; God ſends forth his mercy and truth to help, and there is help indeed.
Fifthly, another help is this, if you can but get your 5.hearts quietly and kindely to lament the condition of your reproachers, this will be a marvellous means toſweeten the heart, and to help to bear reproaches. It was the anſwer of Socrates to one who wondred at his patience towards one who reviled him, If we ſhould meet one, ſays he, whoſe body were more unſound then ours, ſhould we be angry with him, and not rather pity him? why then ſhould we not do the like to him whoſe ſoul is more diſeaſed then ours?
The folly of our reproachers ſhould cauſe us to pity them, to be patient towards them, and paſs by the wrong they do unto us; this was one of the arguments that Abigail brought to David, to quiet his ſpirit that was ſo ſtirred againſt Nabal, becauſe of that reproach he caſt upon him; Nabal, ſaith ſhe, is his name, and folly is with him, it is his folly, rather pity him, it is too low a thing for ſuch a ſpirit as Davids is to be ſtirred with it. Inſtead of being troubled with the reproaches that are upon you, your ſpirits ſhould be moſt troubled for their ſin: Now there is infinite cauſe we have to be troubled for their ſin more then for any evil that befals us. An evil tongue devours, and is an abomination, and in Prov. 8. 13. God ſays, The froward mouth he hates: Now if you have any love you ſhould think thus, This poor man what hath he done? he hath brought himſelf under the hatred of God; now this ſhould mightily affect the hearts of the godly. As he is an abomination to God, ſo he is an abomination to men, Prov. 24. 9. The ſcorner is an abomination to men; ſcornful ſpirits love to caſt ſhame and ignominy upon others. And in Prov. 18. 7. A fools mouth is his deſtruction, and his lips are the ſnare of his ſoul; we ſhould think, he hath but enſnared his own ſoul, and ſo fall a lamenting of his wretched condition. And ſo in Iſa. 33. 10. Your breath as fire ſhall devour you: If the breath of any man devours him, the breath of revilers, and reproachers, and ſlanderers does. The Heathens called a reproacher A three tongued man, becauſe he hurts three at once, he hurts him that he reproaches, and him that heard the reproach, and himſelf worſt of all; do but get power over your hearts to bewail this ſin, and your reproach will not be ſo troubleſom. Trilinguis Galleſius a writer upon Exod. 22. ver. 28. obſerves the exceeding patience of thoſe three Emperors, Theodoſius, Honorius, Arcadius, towards thoſe who ſpake Si ex levitate cōtemnendum, ſi ex inſania miſeratione dignum, ſi ab injuria remittendum.evil of them, they would have them ſubject to no puniſhment, for they ſaid, If it comes from lightneſs of ſpirit, it is to be contemned, if from madneſs, it is worthy of pity, if from injury, it is to be pardoned, wrongs are to be forgiven.
Again, labor to poſſeſs your ſouls with the reality of the ſweet of, and the honor there is in the ways 6.of God, ſo no reproach will be grievous to you: As it is ſaid of the covetous man, when ſome told him, Such and ſuch hiſs at thee, but ſays he, I care not, I rejoyce in what I have at home, that I have ſo much Mihi ipſi domi plaudo, nummos in area.money in my cheſt: So it ſhould be with a gracious heart, he ſhould ſay, I have ſweet enough in my own heart, what need I trouble my ſelf with what others think or ſay?
Seventhly, labor to ſatisfie your ſouls in the glory of God and Chriſt: Though my name be caſt out as 7.filth, yet the name of God and Chriſt is bleſſed and glorious, and ſo ſhall be for ever, let Devils and wicked men do what they can againſt it; It was a good ſpeech of Luther, writing to his friend Spalatinus, bemoaning his condition to him, becauſe of the Prorſus Satan eſt Lutherus, ſed Chriſtus vivit & regnat Amen. Luther ad Spalat.ſcorn and contempt he ſuffered, yet comforting himſelf in this, that Chriſt lived and reigned, Luther is accounted even a Devil, but Chriſt lives and reigns, he addes his Amen to it.
Thirdly, it is not enough to bear reproaches patiently, but we muſt bear them fruitfully: a chriſtian ſhould think he hath not done that which belongs to 3.a chriſtian, unleſs he hath got ſome good by them; How to bear reproaches fruitfullya chriſtian ſhould not think it enough to free himſelf from the ſcorn of the tongue, but he muſt improve it for good by it.
Firſt, conſider what ends God aims at by it, and labor to work them upon your ſelves, that you may 1.attain to thoſe ends.
Secondly, labor to draw what good inſtructions you can from the reproaches of others: As namely 2.thus, when I hear men reproach and revile, O what a deal of evil is there ſecretly in the heart of man, that is not diſcovered till it have occaſion? I did not think that ſuch and ſuch could ever have been reproachers, if they had not been provoked. Again, do I ſee another ſo vigilant over me to finde me out to reproach me; how vigilant ſhould I be over my ſelf to finde out what is in me to humble me? Again, is there ſo much evil to be under the ſtroke of mans tongue, what a great evil is it to be under the ſtroke of Gods juſtice?
Laſtly, to be fruitful, that is, ſet upon what duty God calls for at the preſent; ſurely this is one great general 3.duty, that the leſs credit I ſee I have in the world, let me labor to have the more credit in Heaven; I ſee there is a breach of my name here, let me ſeek to make up my name in Heaven.
4. And then they muſt be born joyfully, but we ſhall ſpeak of that afterwards in the third point, that a gracious heart is not onelyonly willing to bear reproach when God calls unto it, but in the cauſe of CHRIST to triumph and rejoyce in his reproaches.
5. Laſtly, we ſhould return good for evil; then you come to the top of Chriſtianity. This is a ſign of Mihi infirmo ſiquis injuriam facit forfican licet infirmus donem injuriā meam; ſi verò is ſum qui proficiam & ſi nondū perfectus, non retorqueo contuneliam, etſi influat ille …onvitiis et invadat au …es meas …ontumeliis go taceo et …ihil reſpō leo: ſi verò perfectus ſim benedi…o maledipenti, ficut & Paulus Malediei…ur & be…edi…imus. Ambr. off …. 1. c. 48.great progreſs in Religion: If I be weak, ſaith Ambroſe, perhaps I may pardon one charging me falſly; but if I have profited, although not altogether perfect, though he flows in upon me with reproaches, I hold my peace and anſwer nothing; but if I be perfect, I then bleſs him that reviles me, according to that of St. Paul, Being reviled, we bleſs. If you can do thus, if you can heartily pray for your reproachers, and deſire good to them, and be willing to take notice of any good in them, to clear up their innocency where there is iuſt cauſe, if you can be ready to offer any offices of love, and reſpect, and kindeneſs to them, and ſo heap coals of fire upon them; this is a great ſign of grace, you have made a good progreſs indeed in Gods way: Mat. 5. 44, 45. Bleſs them, ſays Chriſt, that curſe you, pray for them that deſpitely uſe you, that ye may be the children of your Father, &c. Why, were they not children before? Yes, but this declares it, now God owns them for his children: If we behave our ſelves thus, we ſhall have the comfort of this, that our reproaches come to us as to Gods people, whereas others cannot have the comfort of this, you cannot have any comfort from this argument, unleſs you behave your ſelves under reproaches after this maner: Now what a great evilis this to cut a man off from that comfort which hath been ſpoken of in this argument? and if you do behave your ſelves chriſtianly under reproaches, God is more and more engaged to ſtand for your names, and you are more prepared for glory. As he is not fit to govern, that is not fit to ſerve, but he that is fit to ſerve, is ſo much the fitter to govern; ſo thoſe that can bear diſgrace are fit to be honored, and the greater glory will be afterwards; As the Sun that ſhines through the clouds ſhines the brighteſt, ſo when honor ſhall come through diſhonor, it ſhall be the greateſt honor. And then you ſhall come to know that honor is ſanctified to you, and that it is in love, and you ſhall be more able to rejoyce in the honor that God ſhall bring to your names then you would have done, and ſo your reproachers ſhall be ſervants to you.
There is onelyonly one place of Scripture that I ſhall adde, and ſo I have done with this point: Job 17. compare the 6. verſe with the 8. and 9. verſes; ver. 6. He hath made me alſo a by-word of the people: Job was a godly man, and yet he was made a by-word: What then? at the 8. verſe, Upright men ſhall be aſtonied at this: How? Two ways, either they ſhall be aſtoniſhed at the horrible wickedneſs of men that ſhall contemn ſo godly a man as Job was, and ſay, Lord, what boldneſs is in the hearts of the wicked, that ſhall preſume to dare to contemn ſuch a ſervant of thine? or the upright ſhall be aſtoniſhed, they ſhall admire at the wonderful way of God towards his people, that the Lord ſhall ſuffer wicked men ſo far to go on in wickedneſs, as to reproach his people: The innocent, the godly man ſhall ſee thoſe that are hypocrites, for not onelyonly groſs prophane ones are reproachers often times, but hypocrites: The innocent ſhall ſtir up himſelf againſt the hypocrite, he ſhall not be damped, but ſtir up his thoughts againſt the hypocrite: The righteous alſo ſhall hold on his way, ſhall not decline; and not onelyonly ſo, but he that hath clean hands ſhall be stronger and stronger: And ſo I paſs to the next point.