curse that cleaves unto it. ' The curse of Ciod is in tlie liouse of the wicked' Prov.iii. 33; ' but in the liousc of the righteous tliere isnuich treasure, 'Prov.xv. 6. You may come to the righteous man, and (ind, possibly, no money in his house, but you are siu'e to find a treasure ; wliereas there is no ti'easure in the wicked man's house, when much gold and silver is to he foinid, because the curse of God eats up all his gains. God's fork follows the wicked's rake. It is most righteous for him to scatter what such gatlier by unrigliteousness. They are said, therefore, to ' consult shame to their liouse, for the stone out of the wall shall cry, and the beam out of the house shall answer it,' Hab. ii. 10. O wlu) that prizeth the comfort of his life would, though for tons of gold, live in a house thus haimted ! where the cry of his imrighteousness follows him into every room he goes, and he doth, as it were, hear the stones and beams of his house groaning under the weight of his sin, that laid them there; yea, so hate- ful is this sin to the righteous Lord, that not only they who purse up the gain thus got are cursed by him, but also the instruments such use to advance their unrighteous projects. The poor servant, that, currying favour with his master, advanceth his estate by fraud and unrighteousness, God threatens to pay him his wages, Zeph. i. 9 : 'I will punish those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.' This is spoke either of servants standing at the door to hook in customers they may cheat ; or else of great men's ofHcers that came with absolute power into men's houses to take by violence from them what they pleased : these, though their masters pocketed up the gain, shall be pimished ; their masters, as the great devourers, and they as their sharks to seek and provide prey for them.
CHAPTER XIV.
WHEREIN IS DEFEATED THE THIRD STRATAGEM SATAN USETH TO DISARM THE CHRISTIAN OF HIS BREASTPLATE, AND THAT IS BY SCARING HIM WITH THE CONTRADICTION, OPPOSITION, AND FEUD FROM THE WORLD IT BRINGS.
Assault 3. Thirdly, There is yet a third stiunbling-block, which Satan useth to lay in the way of a soul setting forth in tliis path of righteousness ; and that is the contradiction which such a one is sure to meet with from the world. O, saith Satan, this is the ready way to bring thee under the lash of every tongue ! to lose the love of thy neighbom-s, and contract the scorn, yea, hatred, of all thou livest among ; and dost thou not desire to live friendly and peaceably with thy neighbours ? Canst thou bear to be hooted at, as Lot was among the Sodomites, and Noah amidst the old world, that were all of another way ? This holiness breeds ill blood wherever it comes ; own that, and you bring the world's fists about your ears presently.
Ans. Truly though this be a sorry, weak objection in itself, yet, where it meets with a soft temper, and disposition tendered with a facility of nature, one in whom love and peaceful inclinations are predominant, it carries weight enough to amount to a dangerous temptation. No doubt Aaron stumbled at this stone in the business of the golden calf. He did not please himself, surel)', in the thing : but it was an act merely complacential to the people, as appears by his apology to Moses, Exod. xxxii. 22 : ' Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.' As if he had said, I did not know Avhat they would have done to me upon my denial ; what I did was to pacify them, and prevent more trouble from them. There is need we see to be armed against this temptation, which that thou mayest be, seri- ously weigh these two particulars :
First, Thy God, Christian, whom thou servest, commands the tongues, hands, yea, hearts, of all men. He can, when he pleases, without the least abating in thy holy course, give thee to find favour in the eyes of those thou most fearest, Prov. xvi. 7: 'When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.' Laban in a fury pursues Jacob, but God meets him in the way, and gives him his lesson, how he should carry himself to the good man, (ien. xxxi. 24, and ver. 29; he doth ingenuously confess to Jacob what turned the wind into a warmer corner, and made him so calm with him, that set out so full of rage, ver. 29 : 'It is in the ])ower of my hand to do you hurt, but the CJod of your father met me yesternight,' &c. 'I'hank him for
gg^, AND HAVING ON