Reproofs are good physic, but they have an unpleasing farewell ; it is hard for men not to throw them back on the face of him that gives them. Now nothing is more powerful to keep a repi'oof from thus coming back than the holiness of the person that reproves. ' Let the righteous smite me,' saith David, ' it shall be a kindness ; and let him i-eprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head,' Psa. cxli. 5. See how well it is taken from such hand, from the authority that holiness carries with it. None but a vile wretch will smite a righteous man with reproach for smiting him with a reproof, if softly laid on, and like oil fomented, and wrought into him, as it should, with compassion and love to his soul. Thus we see how influential the power of holiness would be unto the wicked, neither would it be less upon our brethren and fellow -Chris- tians. When one Christian sees holiness sparkle in the life of another he converses with, he shall find his own grace spi'ing within him, as the babe in Elizabeth at the salutation of Mary. Truly one eminently holy is enough to put life into a whole society ; on the contrary, the error or looseness of one professor endangers the whole company that are acquainted with him. Therefore we have so strict a charge, Heb. xii., ' Follow peace and holiness, looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God, lest any I'oot of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.' It is spoken to professors. The heathen's drunkenness, uncleanness, unrighteous walking, did not so much endanger them; but when a ' root of bitterness springs up' among professors themselves, this hazards the defiling of many. A scab on the wolf's back is not so dangerous to the sheep, because they will not easily be drawn among such company ; but when it gets into the flock, among professors that feed together, pray, hear, and walk in fellowship together, now is the fear it will spread. A loose, erroneous professor doth the devil more service in this kind than a whole troop of such as pretend to no religion. The devil gets no credit by them. There are many errors and sinful practices which have long lain upon his hands, and he could not put them oft", till he found this way to employ some professors as his brokers, to commend them to others, and disperse them for him : and if such do not ensnare and defile others by their unholy walking, to be sure they grieve their hearts, and put them to shame in the world. O how Christians hang down their heads upon the scandal of any of their company ! as all the patriarchs were troubled when the cup was found in one of their sacks. And it is no small matter to make sad the hearts of God's people. In a word, he that keeps not up in some measure the power of a holy life, renders himself useless and unprofitable. Wouldst thou pray for others ? A heathen could bid a wicked man hold his peace, and not let the gods know he was in the ship when the storm was on them. Wouldst thou speak a word of comfort to any mournful soul? O how unsavoury are comforts dropping from such a mouth ! Wouldst thou counsel another ? Thy friend will think thou dost but jest, whatever thou sayest in commendation of holiness ; he will not believe that thou thyself dost think it good, for then thou wouldst take tliat thyself which thou commendest to another.
Sixthly, Holiness and righteousness, they are the pillars of kingdoms and nations ; who are they that keep the house from falling on a people's head but the righteous in a nation? Ten righteous men, could they have been found in Sodom, had blown over the storm of fire and brimstone that in a few hours entombed them in their own ashes; yea, the destroying angel's hands were tied up, as it were, while but one I'ighteousLot was among them : ' Haste thee, I can do nothing till thovi art come thithei-,' Gen. xix. 22. Rehoboam and his kingdom for three years were strengthened, and might have been three and twenty, if he had not by his uni-ighteousness pulled it down upon himself and people ; for his unhappiness is dated from the very time of his departure from God, 2 Chron. xi. 16. Josiah, when he came to the crown, found the kingdom of Judah tumbling ajiace to ruin, yet because his heart was set for God, and prepared to walk before him, God took his bail, as I may so say, for that wretched people, even when they were luider an arrest fi-om God, and almost at the prison door, so that their safety was in a manner boimd up in his life ; for soon after his decease all went to rack among them. It was an heroic speech of Luther, who foresaw a black cloud of God's judgments coming over the land of Germany, but told some of his friends, ' That he would do his best to keep it from falling in his days ;' yea,
THE BREASTPLATE OF HIGIITEOUSNESS. S(j5