Now, it is said that Christ will take away the rebukes of his people. That is the promise. As they are, they shall be known to be. He will set all in joint again. Harmony is a sweet thing, and order is a sweet thing. Time will come when things that are now out of order to appear- ance, shall be all set in their due order again. Those that are basest shall be lowest, and those that be excellent shall be highest. This is a-working and framing now. In this confusion we must look to the catastrophe, the conclusion of all. He will ' take away the rebukes of all.' God is the father of truth, and truth is the daughter of time. Time will bring forth truth at last. And those that be honourable indeed shall be honourable. It is as true as God is just ; for goodness and holiness are beams of God ; and will he sufier it always to pass imder a false veil ? There is not an attribute of God but shall shine forth gloriously, even all his excellency and dignity. There is nothing shall be above him and his excellency. No ; though he seems for a while not to rule in the world, or have power, but sufiers them to go away with it that are his enemies, he is working another thing by sufleriug them, he is working the glory of his children, and con- fusion of his enemies. There is nothing in God but shall gloriously shine, and nothing in his children, no beams of God, but shall gloriously shine, to the confusion of the world. They that are good shall be known to be good, God will bring their righteousness to light. The witnesses that vexed the world, and had base entertainment, they were slain and disgraced, but they rose again, and were carried to heaven, Rev. xi. 12, seq., as Elias. So there will be a resurrection of name, a resurrection of reputation. That that is good shall be good, and that that is bad shall be bad. It shall be known to be as it is. This is for comfort.
Use 1. You hear, therefore, what course to take under disgrace. What shall we do when the church passcth under disgrace, as it is now ? A pro- testant is worse than a Turk or a Jew amongst the railing papists. Among ourselves we see under what reputation the best things go. It is too well known to speak of. And the scandal taken from hence doth extremely harden. It keeps men from religion, it draweth many from religion that have entered into it, because they have not learned so much self-denial as
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to venture upon disgrace. And surely where no self-denial is, there is no religion. Chi-ist knew what doctrine he taught when he taught self-denial in this respect.
What shall we do, therefore ? 1. Lahour first of all for innocencrj, that if men will reproach, they may reproach without a cause.
2. Then labour for a spirit of patience to serve Christ with. ' Great is yom* reward when men speak evil of you,' Mat. v. 12, for a good cause. It is the portion of a Christian in this life to do well and sulier ill. Of all, certainly they are best, that, out of love to goodness, are carried to goodness, without looking to rewards or disgrace ; that follow with a single eye. Labour, therefore, for patience, and not only so, but,
3. For courage. For the moon goeth its course, and lets the dog bark. We have a course to run, let us keep our course constantly ; pass through good reports and bad reports ; be at a point what the world thinks. We seek applause at another theatre than the world.
4. Again, then, labour for sincerity under rebukes, that we have a good aim, such an aim as Paul had, ' If I be mad and out of my wits,' 1 Cor. v. 13, 14. He being earnest for his master, Christ, they count him out of his wits. If I be out of my wits it is for Christ. ' If I be sober, it is for you, the love of Christ constraineth me to be so,' 2 Cor. v. 14. Get the love of Christ, and that will make a man care for nothing. If I go beyond mj'self, it is to God. As David said, when he was mocked by Michal, ' It is to the Lord,' when he danced before the ark,' 2 Sam. vi. 20, 21. Bonus Indus, a good dance, where Michal scofleth, and David danceth. Where gracious men magnif}^ God, and have Michals to scoff at them, it is bonus Indus. God will look upon them, for it is to the Lord. Labour that our aims be good, and it is no matter what the world judgeth of them.
5. And when all will not do, commend our credits to God by prayer. As we commend our souls and conditions, so our reputations, that he would take care of them, that he would bring our righteousness to light, that it should shine out as the noonday. So David doth, he complains to God, and commendeth all to him, prayeth him to take part against his enemies, to right his cause. And when we have done that, we have done our duty. Yet withal hope for better things, be content to pass under the world as unknown men, and to be inwardly worthy, and pass as unknown men. Rich men, if truly rich, they will applaud themselves in their bosoms, though the world disgrace them, yet at home I am thus furnished. And so a Christian that knoweth his worth, that he is a child of God, heir of heaven, that he is attended upon by angels, that he is a jewel to God in his esteem, [he thinks this] to be absolutely the best thing in the world. He knoweth the worth of a Christian, and his own worth as being a Christian. He applauseth* and comforteth himself, in that he knoweth he hath a hidden life, a state of glory hidden in Christ. Now it is covered with disgrace and disrespect in the world, scorned and reproached, but what is that to him ? It is an hidden life, and for the present he knoweth his own excellency, and, therefore, can pass through good report and bad report. * I care not for man's day,' saith Paul, 'there is another day to which I must stand,' 1 Cor. iv. 3.