ITow doth David entertain this usage ? how doth he carry himself all this while ? He must needs be sensible of it, and therefore he expresseth it in most significant words. Oh, saith he, these things were as a sword in my hones. There be diverse readings of the words ; but we will take them as they are laid down, being very well, as with a sword in my hones (or as it is in the margin, (h) as killing in my hones), mine enemies reproach me. It was as killing to him, it did go to his heart, it cut him to the quick. As a sword is to the body and bones, so are their words to my soul, I cannot endm'e it, it is death to me. It is a most emphatical manner of expressing the enemies' disposition and carriage. Thus you have the words unfolded. I will but touch some particulars ; those that I think most needful for us to take notice of, I will dwell more upon. Mine enemies, saith he, reproach me.
Mine enemies. There hath been contrary seeds from the beginning of the world, and will be while Satan is in the world. Till he be cast into the ' burning lake,' and be there in perpetual chains adjudged to torment, he will raise up men alway that shall be of his side. And as long as that grand enemy is, and as long as men are that MdU be subject to his government, as alway there will be, he will have a great faction in the world. And by reason that he hath a party in us, the flesh, he will have the gi'eatest party in the world. The most go the broad way, so that God's children, even David himself, sliall not want enemies.
Mine enemies. It is strange that he should have enemies, that was so harmless a man, tliat when they were sick and distressed, he praj^ed for them, and put on sackcloth for them, as it is Ps. xh. This compassionate, sweet-naturcd man, yet notwithstanding you see he had enemies, and enemies that would discover themselves to reproach him, and that bitterly ; in the bitterest manner, they reproach him in liis religion. It is a large point, if I should give myself hberty in it. I do but touch it, that we may be armed bj^ tliis observation, against the scandal of opposition, that if we meet with enemies in the world, we should not be much oifended at it ; grieve we may, but wonder we need not. Was there ever any that did more good than our Saviour Christ ? * He went about doing good,' Acts x. 38. He did never a miracle that was harmful (but only of the swine that were drowned in the sea, and that was their own fault), but he went about doing all the good he could ; yet, notwithstanding, we see what malicious opposites he had. That that is true of the head must be true in the mem- bers. Therefore, we should rejoice in our conformity to Christ, if it be in a good cause, that wo find enemies and opposition. O imperator^
THE SWOED OF THE WICKED. 109
dc, saitii he, 0 the emperor is become a Christian. It was a blessed time. Oh ! but the devil is not made a Christian yet, and he will never be made good : for he is in termino, as we say, he is in his bounds, his nature is immoveable ; he is in hell in regard of his estate, though he be loose to do mischief. Now, until the devil be good, God's children shall never want enemies ; and he will never be good. Therefore, though there were good kings and good governors over all the world, yet good men shall never want enemies as long as the devil is alive, as long as he hath any thing to do in the world. Enemies therefore w^e must look for, and such enemies as wdl not conceal their malice neither : for that were something if they would suffer then- malice to boil and concoct m their own hearts, but that will not be, but ' out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak.' Where there is a bad treasuiy, there will be a bad vent ; -;■• therefore we see here, they reproach him, ' mine enemies.'
Reproach me. It is the proper expression of malice, reproach ; and it is that that the nature of man can least endm-e of all. The nature of man can endure an outward wrong, a loss or a cross, but a reproach, especially if it be a scornful reproach, the natm-e of man is most impatient of. For there is no man, but he thinks himself worthy of some respect. Now a reproach- ful scorn shews a disrespect, and when the nature of man sees itself disre- spected, it grows to terms of impatience. There is not the meanest man hving but he thinks himself worthy of some regard. Therefore I cannot blame David, even out of the piinciple of nature, to be affected here when they reproached him, and gave him vile terms, ' mine enemies reproach me.' Their tongues were tipt from hell, and they did but utter that that was in their hearts. If the tongues of wicked men, as St James saith, be a world of mischief, what is the whole man ? what is the heart, and tongue, and life, and all of wicked men ?