Redemption from the Curse, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Uſe 6. Admonition.
6. LAſtly, I would improve this Truth by way of Admonition, and from this, as a new ground, briefly whet upon your hearts, that inference, which I drew from the firſt Concluſion, concerning Curſing, that it is both irrational, and irreligious. So ſhall the juſt condemnation of that wicked practiſe be eſtabliſhed in the mouth of two approved witneſſes.Deut. 17.6. As it is madneſs, to wiſh a curſe to our ſelves, or others, ſeeing we are all under the ſtroak of it by nature: So truly it is a double madneſs to do it, now that we are redeemed from it by grace. Your own reaſon may diſſwade you from it on the former ground, unleſs you be ſo deſperate as to continue ſtill under the curſe, and to implunge your ſelves deeper into the gulf, and Religion may take you off on the latter ground, unleſs you will reſolve thus, Chriſt indeed hath delivered ſinners from the Curſe, but we are content to tamper with it ſtill, and ſo make your ſelves a thouſand times more the children of wrath than you were before. Yet alas, how common is this miſcarriage, even among them, that profeſs themſelves to be redeemed by Chriſt? It is too uſual with ſome men, to wiſh a curſe to their own ſouls, thereby either to confirm the truth of ſomething, or to binde themſelves to do that, which they have purpoſed in their hearts to do. It is true, we have examples of the beſt men in Scripture, which have ſo done, as Job chap. 31.7, 8. &c. and David, Pſal. 7.3, 4, 5. but theſe were for the moſt part rather neceſſitated than voluntary, for the clearing of their innocency, alwayes adviſed, and weighty, with ſolemn reverence in the preſence of God, from whom they did certainly expect the accompliſhment of their wiſh againſt themſelves, in caſe they ſhould bee found faulty. And thus they may be lawfull, being uſed very ſparingly. But this cannot juſtifie the too frequent uſe of them, without neceſſity, upon trivial occaſions, raſhly, headily, brutiſhly, when the fear of God in the heart doth not manage the buſineſs, to render it accepted. As for the curſing and banning of others; Oh how rife is it! How eaſily do the common people fall into that baſe language? If they be but a little provoked, if paſſion get the upper hand in a ſmall meaſure, their tongues are forthwith all on a flame in bitter imprecations.
It is true alſo that ſome holy, men are reported in Scripture to have curſed others, It is commanded, Jud. 5.23. It was practiſed by David, Pſal. 69.22. &c. By Eliſha, 2 King. 2.24. By Nehemiah, chap. 13.25. and Jeremy, chap. 18.20, 21. But theſe are meerly extraordinary, being predictions of evill againſt others, uttered by the Spirit of Propheſie, which cannot warrant us to do the like.
And I ſuppoſe, we ſhall ſcarcely meet with one approved example in the Book of God, which will bear us out in the curſing of others. Jobs and Jeremies curſing the day of their birth, and the man that firſt brought tidings of it, with the overflowings of inordinate paſſion, in no caſe to be looked on as preſidents.
And ſome have a Curſe [Ah, fie upon him] ready on a ſhort warning to fling at a godly man, even becauſe he is godly, as if the Lords Redeemed, were the proper marks at which theſe ſharp arrows ſhould be ſhot. Oh moſt abominable Bedlam-practice! If you love your ſouls, beware of it. Conſider theſe motives.
1. Such language is the breathing, and framing of the Angel of the bottomleſs pit, it is the Dialect of hell, fit for none but blinde heathens, ſtrangers from the Covenant, ſuch as Goliah, 1 Sam. 17.43. or for prophane, hardened ſinners, which give themſelves up to all iniquity, and profeſſedly hate the righteous, as Shimei, 2 Sam. 16.5, 7. Would ye not be in an higher form then theſe are? Can ye be content to be ſo far from the very ſuburbs of heaven?
2. The ſentence is paſſed long ago, and ſhall never be reverſed: Curſed is he that curſeth the people of God. It is the Lords own doom, though it was delivered by the mouth of Balaam the falſe Prophet, Numb. 24.9. he was hired on purpoſe to curſe Iſrael, and came with a minde free enough to do it, but the Lord turnes him aſide from his own byas, puts words of bleſſing into his mouth which he never thought of, and cauſeth him againſt the bent of his own heart to pronounce thoſe accurſed that curſe Iſrael. And now dares any of you adventure upon a practiſe, which will be ſo far from taking the curſe from off your ſelves, that it will ſeal you more ſurely under the power of it?
3. It is a very groſs, and dangerous taking Gods Name in vain, which may appear thus. Every bleſſing and curſe is virtually a prayer. As praying to God to do ſome good thing for our ſelves or others, is a reverent uſing of his Name, becauſe it is a petitioning for that, which he hath promiſed to do; ſo on the contrary, praying for ſome evill to befall another, is a taking of it in vain, becauſe it is a petitioning for that, which he hath reſolved not to do, or at leaſt hath given no intimation of his purpoſe concerning it, which may be our warrant for ſuch a prayer.
4. It carries along with it apparent injuſtice, and that in an high degree; for godly men are bleſſed men: So the Lord tells Balaam, and upon that ground forbids him to curſe his people, Numb. 22.12. Hereby thou wrongeſt God himſelf, giving him the lye, oppoſing him in his way, and undoing what he hath done; and them alſo in bearing falſe witneſs againſt them, and repreſenting them to the Lord in the moſt odious poſture. If a man ſhould be ſpread before a great Prince ſome falſe accuſations concerning his favourite, thereby to incenſe the Prince againſt him, what an injury were this to them both? Surely curſing the godly is a greater injury both to God, and them.
If then thou doſt not like to bear the black brand of an unrighteous man, reſolve againſt this wickedneſs in the language, which God himſelf put into the mouth of Balaam, How ſhall I curſe, whom God hath not curſed? or deteſt whom he hath not deteſted? Num. 23.8.
But truly, ſnarling Dogs will bark, and bite too, if they can, and the children of Belial will tear us with Curſes: Who can hinder them? And we may obſerve, that ſome mens tongues are ſo ſet on fire of hell, they are ſo full of the poyſon of Aſpes, and are ſo deſperately tranſported beyond all reaſon, that the very expreſſions are able to make the hearts of moderate men to tremble.
Indeed the diſhonour of God, and the danger of their ſouls may give us cauſe to mourn, but they need not trouble us, on any other account.
For firſt, they are cauſeleſs, Prov. 26.2. Godlineſs is no juſt cauſe of curſing, but rather of bleſſing; the Lords Redeemed, are not Buts for ſuch poyſoned arrows, the perſons are miſtaken, ſuch curſes are like Birds which flye at rovers, aiming at no ſet place, or prevented in the flight,Saepe ſiniſtra cava praed…x… ab…i…les corni… V…rg. that they do not reach it. No wiſe man will regard the flying of Swallows. The flying or chattering of ſome birds on the left hand, as ominous, or boding ill luck, was an heatheniſh obſervation, grounded meerly upon ſuperſtition, without reaſon. And the imprecations are the iſſues of prophane hearts, and therefore not to be feared, but contemned.
2. Therefore they are bootleſs, they ſhall not come, they are vain, they cannot effect that which they are ſent for. As Waſps which have loſt their ſtings, as the report of powder without ſhot, as a crack of thunder without a bolt, or as an arrow ſhot upward in the aire, which ſoon ſpends its force, and falls to the ground; For,
1. The Lord hath ſettled his bleſſing upon them, by ſo firm, and indefeaſable a title, that all the power and malice of the gates of hell cannot take it off, or make it void. God ſaith of them, as once Iſaac ſaid of Jacob, I have bleſſed them, yea, and they ſhall be bleſſed, Gen. 27.33.
2. And he will alſo, as a moſt expert Phyſitian, extract ſweetneſs out of their poyſon, ſend down a bleſſing inſtead of a curſe, and do his ſervants good, even the rather, as David hoped, 2 Sam. 16.12. See this more fully preſſed in the Uſe of Conſolation before.
To conclude, Let the godly abandon this wicked practice, even upon this ſcore, becauſe they are redeemed from the Curſe. Say thus: If the Lord Jeſus hath ranſomed ſinners from the Curſe, and made an everlaſting ſeparation betwixt it, and them, then what have I to do with any more? God forbid, that I ſhould bee ſo bold, as to faſten it on my ſelfe, or others, or endeavour to revive it. Nay, I will not ſo much, as take the name of it once into my lips. I am called by the mercy of God to bee an Heire of Bleſſing,1 Pet. 3.9. and I will behave my ſelf accordingly.
FINIS.