Let us, therefore, take a trial of ourselves, how we stand affected in case of religion. He that hath no zeal in him hath no love. By an antiperis- tasis, an opposition of the contraiy increaseth the contraiy ; if a man have any goodness, if it be envii-oned with opposition, it will intend (e) the goodness and increase it. Lot shewed his goodness in Sodom the more, because of the wickedness of the Sodomites. When a man is in vile company, and hears religion disgraced, and good persons scoffed at, and will not have a word to justify good causes and good persons, he hath no life at all of reli- gion ; for if he had, he would then have more religion than ordinary, the contrary would then intend, and increase the contrary. There was a blessed mixture of many affections in this grief of the holy man David, when he said, ' their words were as a sword in his bones.' There was great grief, not only for himself, as a man being sensible of reproaches, for men are men ; and not out of con-upt nature, but out of the principles of nature, they are sensible of reproaches. Here was giief in respect of God, and in respect of himself ; and here was the love of God and the love of religion in this grief. Here was zeal in this, and a sweet mixtm'e of blessed affec- tions ; a sweet temper in this, when he saith, ' their words were as a sword in my bones.'
Let us make a use of trial, bring ourselves to this pattern, and think, if we do come short of this, then we come short of that that should be in us. But especially let us consider with what hearts we entertain those doleful and sad reports of foreign chm'ches, and with what consideration and view we look upon the present estate of the church, whether we be glad or no. There are many false spirits that either are not affected at all, or else they are inwardly glad of it ; they are of the same disposition that those cxirsed Edomites were of, ' Down with it, down with it, even unto the gi'ound,' Ps. cxxxvii. 7. I hope that there are but few such amongst us here, therefore I will not press that. But if we be dead-hearted, and are not affected with the cause of the church, let us suspect ourselves, and think all is not well. The fire from heaven is not kindled in our hearts. Our hearts are not yet the altar where God hath lundled that heavenly fire, if we can hear religion disgraced, and good causes go backward, and not be affected. ' Curse ye Moroz.' Why ? Because ' thoy went not out to help the Lord,' Jud. v. 28. If those be cursed that do not help, as they can, by their prayers, then surely they are cursed that are dead-hearted, that are not affected at all, that join with the persecutors, that cry, ' Down with it even to the ground,'
THE SWORD OF THE WICKED. 117
and say, ' Aha, so we would have it.' If those be cursed that help not for- ward the cause of the church, at least by their prayers, and strive and con- tend for ' the faith once given,' Jude 3, what shall we think of those that are not affected at all ? nay, which is worst of all, that hinder good causes, that are scomers of rehgion and good causes, what shall we think of those wretched spirits ? How opposite are they to the spirit of David !
To add one thing more, we may learn hence the extent of the command- ments, how to enlarge the commandments. Our Savioui', Christ, when he came to preach the gospel, he began with the enlargement of the command- ments, shewing the spiritual meaning and extent of the law, ' He that calleth his brother Eaca, or fool, is in danger of hell fire,' and ' He that looks on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her in his heart,' Mat. V. 22, 28. You see here the prophet David, when he speaks of their reproach, he speaks of it as if they had a mm-derous intention ; and in the event and issue it is a kiad of murder. As udth a sword in my hones, my enemies re- proach me, &c. This sword were but words. He is a murderer in God's esteem, and so it will prove if he repent not, that wounds another man with his tongue. For what doth the Holy Ghost here in David ? Doth he not set out words by swords ? Is it not oft in the Psalms, ' Their words are as swords, the poison of asps is under their lips ?' Kom. iii. 13. There is an excellent place you have for this in Prov. sii. 18, ' There is that speaks Uke the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is health.' A good man hath a healing tongue, he hath a medicinal, salving tongue ; but a wicked man, his words are as swords, and, as he saith here, then* speaking is as the piercing of a sword. Therefore, hence let us leai-n not to think ourselves free from mm'der when we have killed nobody, or free from adultery when we are free from the gross act. This is but a pharisaical gloss upon the commandments ; but if we will understand the command- ments of God as they are to be understood, we must enlarge them as the Scrip tm-e enlargeth them. He that prejudiceth the life and comfort of any man, he is a mm'derer of him in God's esteem ; and he that labom-s to cut another man to the heart with sharp, piercing words, in God's esteem he is a mm-derer. Those that, though among men, they cannot say black is their eye, and pride themselves, as if they were very religious men ; yet, notwithstanding, they are men that are not wanting of then- tongues, men that care not to speak bitterly and sharply of others. If they did con- sider of this, it would take them down, and make them think a little meaner of themselves, when, indeed, in God's construction, they are Uttle better than murderers. ' As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies re- proach me, while they say to me daily. Where is thy God ? ' So much for these words.