Use 2. Reproof. It reproves them who liave too much of the serpent, but nothing of the dove, Jer. iv. 22., " Wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge ;" these are like the devil, who retains his sub- tilty, but not his innocency. 1. We have many in this age like the serpent for craf- tiness, Dan. viii. 25., " Through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper." Men have the head-piece of subtilty, but want the breast -plate of honesty; they are wise to contrive sin, to forge plots, to study com- ])liance, rather than conscience ; the port they aim at, is preferment ; the compass they sail by, is policy ; the pilot that steers them, is Satan. These have the craftiness of the serpent, " Tliey are wise to do evil." 2. They are like tlie serpent for mischief. You know the fiery serpents did sting Is- rael : these have the sting of the serpent, — they have a sting in their tongues, stinging the people of God with bitter slanders and invectives, calling them factious and sedi- tious,— and they sting with their indict- ments and excommunications. Gal. iv. 29. Such stinging serpents were Nero, Diocles»i- an, and Julian; and their sj)irit is yet alive in the world. These liave too much of the ser- pent in them, but nothing of the dove, 2 Pet. ii. 3., "Their damnation slunibereth not."
Use 3. Exhortation. To j)ut in j)ractice our Saviour's counsel in the text, join the serpent and the dove together, wisdom and holiness ; here lies the knot, — this is the great difficulty, — to unite these two toge- ther, the serpent and the dove, prudence and innocency ; if you separate these two, you spoil all.
Quest. IVhercin doth a Christian join these two together, the serpent and the duve^ nr*.' /f>t>c*> v! holiness ?
Jns. This I shall answer in twelve par- ticulars.
1. To be wise and innocent consists in this, to be sensible of an injury yet not re- venge it. A Christian is not a stoic, nor yet a fury: he is so wise, that he knows when an injury is done him ; but so holy, that he knows how to pass it by ; this is a most excellent temper of soul, — I had al- most said, angelical. As the wind doth al- lay the heat of the air, so grace doth allay the heat of revenge. Moses herein shewed a mixture of the serpent and the dove : Minam murmured against him, Numb xii. 2., " Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses ?" is he the only prophet to declare God's mind to us? Moses was so wise as to discern her pride and slighting of him ; yet so meek as to bury the injury. When God struck her with leprosy, he prays for her, Numb. xii. 13., " Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee." And upon his pray- er, she was cured of her leprosy. A good Christian hath so much wisdom as to dis- cern his enemy's malice, but so much grace as to conquer his own ; he knows it is the glory of a man to pass by a transgression, Prov. xix. 11. Though a Christian hath so much prudence as to vindicate himself, yet so much goodness as not to avenge himself. Beliold here the serpert and the dove united, sagacity and innocency.
2. The mixing wisdom and innocency is seen in this, to be humble, but not base. Humility is part of the dove's innocency, 1 Pet. V. 5., " Be ye clothed with humility." St. Paul, though the chief of the aj)ostles, calls himself the least of saints. A graci- ous soul hath low thoughts of himself, and carries himself lowly toward others; but, though he be humble, lie is not base ; though he will not saucily resist his superiors, he will not sinfully humour them; though he will not do such j)roud actions as to make his enemies hate him, yet he will not do such sordid actions as to make them des- pise him ; here is the serpent and the dove united. A good Christian is so humble as to oblige others, hut not so unworthy as to disobey God. St. Paul, as far as he could with a good conscience, did " become all things to all, that h» miglit save some,"
1 Cor.ix. 2a. 22 but he would not brejilc
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SELECT SERMONS.
a commandincnt to gratify any. Wlien God's glory lay at stake who more resolute llian Paul? Gal. ii. 5. The tliree children were liumble, tliey gave the king his title of lionour, but tliey were not sordidly titn- orous, Dan. iii. 18., " Be it known unto tliee, O king, we will not serve thy gods." Though they shewed reverence to the king's person, yet no reverence to the image he had set up. A good Christian will not do any thing below himself; though he is for obeying of laws, yet he will not prostitute Limself to men's lusts. He is humble, — there he shews the innocency of the dove ; but not base, — there he shews the wisdom of the serpent.