broken and dissolved, leave an excellent scent, so he leaves Lis name behind him. And partly because it is put above riches : Prov. xxii. 1, 'A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.' It is better, more pure and sublime than wealth, and more worthy our esteem. They are low and dreggy spirits whose hearts run after wealth ; the greatest spirits run out upon fame and honour : so Eccles. vii. 1, 'A good name is better than precious ointment/ Aromatical ointments were things of great use and esteem among the Jews, and counted the chief part of their treasures ; now a good name is better than precious ointment. And partly because of the great inconveni- ences which follow the loss of name. The glory of God is much inter- ested in the credit of his servants. Tlie credit of religion depends much upon the credit of the persons that profess it. When godly men are evil spoken of, the way of truth suffers ; and when we are polluted, God is polluted : Ezek. xxxvi. 20, ' They profaned my holy name when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land ; ' that is, by their scandals. The offences are charged upon us, but in effect they prove the disgrace of Christ. Christ, that will hereafter be admired of his saints, will now be glorified and honoured in them. The shame of those things charged upon us redounds to God and religion till we be clear. And as the honour of God is concerned in it, so again their safety lies in it. Observe it, Satan is first a liar, then a murderer. First, men are smitten with the tongue of slander, and afterwards with the fist of wickedness : the showers of slander are but presages and beginnings of grievous storms of persecution ; wicked men take more liberty when the children of God are imprisoned as criminals ; therefore it is the usual practice of Satan first to blast the repute of religious persons, then to prosecute them as offenders. Possibly this may be the mean- ing of that, Ps. V. 9, ' Their throat is an open sepulchre ; they flatter with their tongue ; ' that is, the slanders of the wicked are a prepara- tion to death, as an open sepulchre is prepared to swallow and take in the dead carcase. I expound it thus, because we find the phrase used in this sense. The force and power of the Babylonian, Jer. v. 16, is called an ' open sepulchre ;' they are all mighty men ; that is, you can expect nothing but death from the force and puissance of their as- saults. So here their reproach is not only a burying-place for our names, but our persons ; for first men slander, then molest the chil- dren of God. When the Arian emperor raged against the orthodox Christians, and the bishops and pastors of the churches were suppressed everywhere, they durst not meddle with Polonus, out of a reverence of the unspottedness of his fame ; and therefore a good report is a great security and protection against violence. And then they desire a good name to honour God with it. A blemished instrument is little worth. Who would take meat from a leprous hand ? It is Satan's policy, when he cannot discourage instruments from the work of God, then to blemish and blast them. Therefore, those that have anything to do for God in the world should be tender of their credit, especially those that are called to public office, that they may carry on their work with more success. Therefore one of the qualifications of a minister is, ' He must have a good report of them that are without,
VeR. 22.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 209
lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil,' 1 Tim. iii. 7. I suppose it is taken there appellatively, lest he fall into the snare of the slanderer ; I will not absolutely determine. Men set snares for you, and they watch for your halting. Thus grace presseth a good name, because of the consequences of it.
Use 1. Here is advice to persons reproached. Acknowledge God in the affliction, though it be great and grievous. God hath an aim in all things that befall you. The general aim of all afflictions is to try, purge, and make white : Dan. xi. 35 ; or as it is in Deut. viii. 13, ' To humble thee, j^rove thee, and do thee good at the latter end.' Your enemies may intend harm, but God means good ; you should receive good by this, as by every affliction. Plutarch, in his excellent discourse, How a man should j^rofit by his enemies, brings in a com- parison of one Jason, that had au impostume, which was let out by the wounds an enemy gave him ; so many times our impostumes, and the corrupt matter that is within us, is let out by the gashes and wounds which those that meant harm to us give to our name and credit.
First, God doth it to humble thee. Carnal men slioot at rovers, but many times we find the soul is pricked in the quick ; when they shoot their arrows of detraction and slanders, it may revive guilt, and put us upon serious humiliation before God. There are many sins to which this affliction is very proper.