4. Fourthly, Right Honourable, consider this, those persons that have neglected the execution of justice upon their implacable enemies, when God has given them into their hands, those God hath left to perish basely and miserably. See it in Ahab, 1 Kings xxi. compared with xxii. 23-37. God gives Benhadad into Ahab's hand, in ver, 40, 41, ' Because thou hast let a man go that I had appointed to de- struction'— which was not signified to him by any extraordinary re- velation, but by that ordinary dispensation, — ' Therefore,' saith God, ' thy life shall go for his :' xxii. 31, ' Fight neither against small nor great, but against the king of Israel.' In which fight he lost his life at that time, and so perished miserably.
So concerning Saul in 1 Sam. xv. 19, compared with the last of [first] Samuel xxxi. 3, 4. Saul, he spares Agag, and he would shift off the command of the Lord ; but for that God shifted him out of his kingdom. When he neglected to do justice upon an implacable enemy, when God had given him into his hands, God left him to perish and fall basely : ver. 26, ' Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord hath rejected thee from being king.' The Hebrew word, JIDND DNO- signifies to reject, to disdain, to cast off. The Lord re- jected Saul, and he rejected the Lord ; Saul disdained the Lord, and the Lord disdained Saul ; he cast off the Lord, and the Lord cast off him. Saul did not do justice, therefore he shall die basely, and perish miserably upon his own swurd : as he did, in 1 Sam. xxxi< 4.
5. Fifthly and lastly. Right Honourable, consider this, that your neglect of justice will exceedingly eneourage icicked persons in icays of impiety, Eccles. viii. 11; and discourage the godly of the nation from doing their duty. Your neglect of justice will encourage wicked
persons in the ways of impiety, and hinder the t-aints from a cheerful and sweet discharge of their duty.
Right Honourable, if you would sit down and study which way you might most encourage the worst of men, and discourage the best, you
Ps. XLIV. 18.] PROGKESS OF THE UPRIGHT. 349
could not fall upon sucli another way, as to neglect what God and the nation calls for at your hands. Eight Honourable, it is cruelty to the good to spare the bad : it is cruelty to the sheep and lambs to spare the wolves and lions. You were better a thousand times to set some of those grand malefactors a-mourning, that have caused the kingdom to mourn so many years in garments rolled in blood, by the execution of justice, than by the neglect of justice to keep a kingdom still mourn- ing in garments of blood. I shall say no more as to that particular.
But now I shall endeavour to apply the point more generally, both to your Honours and all that hears me at this time, knowing that it is a useful point for us all, especially in these times and seasons wherein God doth exercise us with afflictions and discouragements, while we are in his own ways. The exhortation that I shall press upon you all is, that you will hold on in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding all the afflictions, troubles, and discouragements that may befall you.
Now that you may, I shall endeavour to do these two things : —
First, To lay down some motives to encourage you.
Secondly, To premise some directions to further you.
1. For the first, by way of motive to move you to hold on against all discouragements that possibly may befall you, consider, Eight Honourable, these few things, and all you that hear me this day : —
(1.) First of all. Consider this, that all the affiictions and troubles that you meet ivithal shall never hurt nor harm you, hut he very advan- tageous to you. All the arrows that wicked men shoot at your heads shall stick fast in their OAvn hearts : 1 Peter iii. 1 3, ' And who shall harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?' Interrogations are strong affirmations. It is a strong affirmation, ' none shall harm you:' devils nor men, let them roar and rage, none shall harm you. For as one speaks truly. Nemo pi^oprie la^ditur, nisi a seijjso, No man is properly hurt but by himself and his own fault. All the afflictions and troubles that you shall meet with in the ways of well-doing, they shall be advantageous to you ; they shall be a means by which God will convey more of his grace and mercy, more of himself and his glory into your souls : Hosea ii. 14, ' I will allure her into the wilderness, and then I will speak friendly to her' — or as the Hebrew has it, "•JllQlT tl^b-^^, uedihharti g^iallibhah, I will earnestly speak to her heart. God will make all afflictions, even a wilderness, to be an inlet to more of his own self All the discouragements that you meet with in the ways of well-doing shall but rub off your dross, and empty out that filth that is in you, and so make more room for more of himself and of his glory to be communicated to you. In Heb. xii. 10, ' But he afflicts us for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.' They were before partakers of his holiness. Oh, but God will make afflictions conduit-pipes, through which he will convey more of him- self and of his holiness to his children's souls. That is the first thing. All the afflictions that befall you shall not harm you, but be very advantageous to you. Wlio would not then hold on in the ways of well-doing, notwithstanding any trouble or affliction that may befall them?
2. Secondly, Eight Honourable and beloved, let all gracious and upright hearts consider this, that Jesu^ Chy-ist hath held on in a way
350 god's delight in the [Ps. XLIV. 18.