them: ' It is not for the king's profit to suffer them,' Esther iv. 8 ; an'l 1 Cor. iv. 13, TrepiKaOdp/xara, ' We are made as the filth of the woild, and are the offscouringof all things.' So Heb. xiii. 13, ' Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing liis reproach.' At that time they were cast out of the synagogues, or cities and societies. Was not Christ himself cast off, ' despised and rejected of men ' ? Isa. liii. 3, ' The stone which the builders refused ; ' though he were the corner- stone of the building, yet they laid him aside as if he were of no use, as rubbish, or a refuse stone. So are his people thrust out by the world, laid by, as not deemed worthy to be employed for any use : Acts xxii. 22, ' Away with such a fellow from the earth : for it is not fit that he should live.' This is the judgment which the world maketh on God's servants.
Secondly, What are the usual sins which are incident to such sharp and tedious afflictions ?
1. Impatience and murmuring against God. When our wills are crossed we cannot bear it. To be sick of the fret is a disea.«e very incident to such as have not learned to deny their own wills, and entirely to give up themselves to the conduct of God's providence : Gen. XXX. 1, 'Give me children, or I die;' Ps. xxxvii. 1, ' Fi'et not thyself because of evil-doers.' We should not vex and fret, but we are apt to do so, to murmur and repine against God, and that for small matters, as Jonah for a gourd: ' I do well to be angry,' Jonali iv. 9. So strangely are men transported ! Pettish desires earnestly solicited, and finally disappointed, breed this impatience in us. In every frame of heart, when notably stirred, we should say, Is this well ? God puts the question to Jonah, ' Dost thou well to be angry ? ' What! to be discontented with Gods own providence, especially in small matters ? But we let loose the reins to our passions, and if we be crossed a little, then ' Let me die.' Some of this impatience was in good David, for it presently followeth the text, ver. 84, ' How many are the days of thy servant ? ' If the affliction must last yet longer, then even let me know when I shall die.
2. A spirit of revenge against the instruments of our trouble. When we dare not let fly against God, we vent our passions freely against men, and seek their hurt and loss, and think we are safe. Whereas Christianity establisheth a universal and diffusive charity, even to enemies, that we should pray for them, and seek their good : Mat. V. 44, ' Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.' The command of love doth not extend only towards kindred and friends and acquaintance, but even to enemies. I say unto you, Christ will try our sincerity and obedience by this precept, by forgiving wrongs, and forbearing all unjust and unmerciful revenge, and our love by loving our enemies. It is hard to bring the revenge- ful heart of man to it. The faults they have committed against us do not exempt us from the general law of charity, from doing good to them according to our power. As we must not hate or cnrse, or requite injury with injury, so we must love, bless, do good, and pray for them, wishing them all the good in the world, especially that which they most want, the good of then- souls ; returning friendly words for
376 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XCI.
railing and evil speaking ; feeding and clothing them when hungry, thirsty, or naked ; desiring pardon and grace. This is our rule ; but how few Christians comply with it, and conquer their imruly passions ! No ; rather justify them by the greatness of their temptations, and if they be kept from retaliating of injuries, that is rare. Most have too great a coldness and indifference for enemies : Prov. xxiv. 29, ' I will do so to him as he hath done to me ; I will render to the man according to his work.' This is to take the work out of God's hands, to review i the arrogance of Adam, ' Be as gods.' Generally men are vindictive and transjwrted with uncomely passions when wronged by men : 2 Sam. xvi. 9, 'Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.' This was the luffling humour of Abishai ; but David was in a calmer, cooler frame and temper of spirit : No ; ' God bid him curse.' Many a man can bear afflictions, but not injuries. No man is troubled at a shower of rain, but if one cast a bucket or basin of water upon us, we shall not let it pass, if it be in the power of our hands, without revenge.
3. Using indirect means for our relief. It is better to pine away in affliction than to be freed from it by sin, to be as a bottle in the smoke than to forget our duty ; therefore no trouble should drive us to sin, or to use sinful means for our escape; thougli worn out with expecta- tion, let our duty hold our hands from evil. Whatever our trouble be, from the hand of God or men, we have no reason to go to the devil to ease us of it ; as Saul goeth to the witch of Endor : 1 Sam. xxviii. 7, * Seek me out a woman that hath a familiar spirit.' And to the devil we go when we use bad means. Carnal shifts are very natural to us, and when we cannot trust God, and depend upon him, we presently are apt to take some indirect course of our own. Affliction is often compared to a prison, and the sorrows which accompany it to fetters and chains. Now, God, that puts us into prison, can only help us out again, for he is the governor and judge of the world. Now, to use carnal shifts is an attempt to break prison. We are not able to hold out till God send a happy issue, but take some carnal course of our own. If the heart be not the better resolved, thus it will be. The devil will make an advantage of our afflictions, if he can ; he tempted Christ when he was hungry. Mat. iv. 3, so he tempteth us when he seetli us needy, disgraced, reproached, trampled under foot. No ; though our estate be low, and the fountain of our supplies be dried up, though our credit be smutched and blacked with slander and reproach, though we be cast out as useless things, as an old withered skin-bottle, counted unfit to hold wine, yet we must not forget God's precepts. We need not take a sinful course for the vindication of our credit from unjust reproaches: Isa. li. 7, 'Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the jieople in whose heart is my law : fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be afraid of their revilings.' You that make reckoning of keeping close to my Avord, that have my law not only in your heads, but in your hearts, God hath his times to vindicate you ; you need not distrust the providence of God under straits. When Jacob was low, he tells Laban, * My righteousness shall answer for me,' Gen. XXX. 33. The hand of God will help us and reward honest