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Cap.35. of the folemn assemblies were a burthen. That heart that is burthened with the reproaches of Gods ways, shall finde ease in the comforts of Gods Spirit. If these things be in you, certainly these come from the Spirit of Chrift; and if from the Spirit of Chrift, then you are Chrifts; and if you be Chrifts, then your reproaches are Christs.

2.

Rom. 2.

24.

A third Ufe is this: Seeing Chrift fuffers for us,and all our reproaches are the reproaches of Chrift, Let us take heed that he do not fuffer by us. Now Chrift may come to fuffer by us two ways: First,if fo be that we cause the name of Chrift to be spoken evil of. Secondly, when we come to be actors our felves in fpeaking evil of Chrift, or of his people.

First, if we caufe Chrift or his people to be spoken evil of by any finful way of ours, this is the reproach of Chrift (but not in that fense I spoke of before.) Chrift does not onely fuffer in you, but he fuffers by you. This is the charge that the Apostles lays upon the Romans, For your fake is the name of God blafphemed: we had need look to our felves in this. Mark what charge the Apostle lays upon women, 1 Tim. 5. 13, 14. that they should take heed of tatling, and carrying themselves unchristianly; and that they give none occafion to the adverfary to speak reproachfully. That was the reason why Nehemiah was fo careful in his bufinefs, in Neh. 5.9. Because of the reproach of the Heathen. And so I say to you that are Gods ple, Is it not enough that Chrift hath fuffered for you and in you, but muft he fuffer by you? O that the fear of God might be upon you, because of the reproach of your adverfaries: Is Chrift dear to you did Chrift ever do any thing for you? Is it

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not

not better a thousand times that you were croft, and Cap.35. your lives were taken away, and you laid rotting in the grave, if your names could wash away any ftain that is upon the name of Chrift know there are many that Christ have fuffered reproach by, and you cannot clear your felves of it, and know what an evil and bitter thing it is, that after all the goodnefs and mercy of Chrift to you, and the near relation that he hath taken you into; will you abuse all this mercy, and this near relation if Chrift had never taken you for his own, had you been never fo vile, Chrift had not fuffered reproach by you;but now in regard of your near relation to him, he fuffers reproach by you; and is this the use you make of your near relation?

Chrift is

When therefore you finde your hearts begin to ftir, How and corruption boit; confider the name of Chrift reproached lies proftrate before you, and will you trample upon by us. the name of Jefus Chrift: if one were fet upon going to a place to do mischief, and his Father and Mother should throw themselves in the path, that if he goes on he must tread upon them, and they should Tay, You shall tread upon the bowels out of which you came, upon the loyns that begat you; this would be a great ftop and fo you that are Profeffors of the Gospel, if you have a temptation to a luft, the name of Chrift calls Stay, and fays, If you go you shall trample upon me, and my blood, and bring reproach upon me; will not this ftop you? Never think that gain that you get by the reproach of Christ. It is true indeed, if we be going on in our duty, and do that we should, though men fay the name of Chrift fhall be reproached, we are to go on,

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and

Cap.35. and do our duty, and let Chrift vindicate his name if he will: but if it be any thing that concern out felves, and the fatisfaction of our own wills and defires, whereby Chrift may be reproached, this is a mighty argument to keep us from it: the word hath scarce a ftronger argument to keep us from an evil way, then this,The name of Chrift fhal fuffer by it:for the people of God to fuffer reproach by you, is an evil thing: for a man to have but his kindred afhamed of him, what an evil thing is it, but that it may be faid of one that is a Profeffor of Religion, that he is not onely a reproach to the Church of God, but a reproach to Jefus Chrift, if you have any ingenuity in you, this might ftrike to your hearts.

It is reported of Alexander, having a Soldier of his name, and his Soldier being a coward, he came to him, and faid, Either leave off the name of Alexander, or be a Soldier: and fo we have the name of Chriftians, but when we are vile in our lives, Chrift fays, Either leave off your profefsion, your name, or be a Chriftian indeed: do not come in amongst the number of Profeffors, to let profeffion fuffer by you. And fo Alexander Severus the Emperor, feeing a company of Chriftians fighting together, he commanded them to leave off the name of Chriftians; for fays he, You profefs your felves to be Chriftians, and yet you are thus contending this is not the spirit of bim whom you do profefs. It is a lamentable thing that we should profefs fuch a glorious name as we do, and that we fhould handle the matter fo as that it fhould fuffer fo much by us. It is faid of the high Pricft, Numb. 6. 7. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, or for his brother, or

for

for his fifter, because he had the holy oyl upon him, the Cap. 35. confecration of his God was upon him: So I may fay unto you, You have the holy oyl of the profeffion of the name of Chrift upon you, and therefore take heed what you do, fays St. Paul, It were better for me to dye, then to lofe my glorying were it then not better for us to dye, then to have the glory of Chrift fuffer by us. Know, though the name of Christ be not dear to you, he will defend his name when you fhall rot and perish for ever, and though it be defiled by you for the prefent, he can clear it otherwife: but wo to them that be the causes of reproaches that come thus upon Christ.

But as we must take heed that Chrift be not reproached by us in this regard, much more that he be not reproached by our felves,fo as to speak evil of the ways of God: as we may hear it of thofe that have been forward in profeffion of Religion, if profeffion of Religion do not come to ferve their turns, they are ready to speak evil of that way, and all the profeffors of it. Take heed what you do in reproaching of a member of Chrift, the name of Chrift is upon him take heed you do not reproach him that the name Chrift is upon; the people of God do bear the name of Christ upon their foreheads, take heed you do not spit upon their faces, for it may be you may fpit upon the name of Chrift: as many unskilful hunters will shoot at wilde beafts, and fhooting at random may kill a man; and fo many fhoot at Chriftians, but they hit Chrift, they reproach Chrift.

Cap.36.

use 4.

CHAP. XXXVI.

The dreadful evil there is in reproaching the

F

Saints,

Ourthly, the confideration of this calls for a trembling heart unto all thofe that have been guilty in any degree of cafting reproaches upon the people of God. In this Use we have three branches: First, thofe that have done it themselves: Secondly, thofe that rejoyce in the reproaches that others caft upon Gods people: Thirdly, those that are the divulgers and fpreaders of the reproaches of Gods people. In Zeph. 2. The Holy Ghost there rebuking Moab for reproaching his people in the eighth and tenth verfes,at the eleventh verse it is faid, The Lord will be terrible to them: there are fome of you, that howsoever God have fhewn you better things now, yet heretofore you have been guilty,and it may be fome of you are guilty of this ftill; and if you be guilty, the Lord will be terrible to you. God hath contempt and dishonor for you, as you have caft contempt and dishonor upon Chrift: fuitable to your fin fhall be your punishment. That is obfervable that we have in Pfalm 59. verfe 6. their finis, They return at evening, they make a noife like a dog, and go round about the City: thus is their fin, and it is their fin of reproach and scorn, as appears in the following words, verfe 7. They belch out with their mouth: and obferve ver.14.their judgement is expreffed in the fame words, And at the evening let them return, and let them make a noife like a dog, and go round about the City. Did