chastened himself with fasting ; and that was turned to his reproach*^." John Baptist came in an abstemious way ; and the people said of him, " He has a de\dl." The Lord Jesus Christ came in a way more suited to the liberty of the gospel dispensation ; and his enemies took occasion from that to revile him as a " gluttonous man, and a wme-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners'^." Thus it is also in the present day ; and thus we must expect to find it : for " the servant cannot be above his Lord : if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, much more will they those of his household^." Our blessed Lord has told us, that, " if the world hated him, they will hate us also^:" that they will "speak all manner of evil against us falsely for his sake'^;" and that they will even think they render service to God by putting to death his most faithful servants'. Nor vdll any eminence in rank, or power, or talent, or wisdom, or piety, exempt us from this lot. If David covdd not escape it, neither can we : if Paul was said to be " beside himself''," those who tread in his steps must not expect to be regarded as of a sound mind. Nor will this opprobrious treatment proceed only from avowed enemies : our nearest friends and relatives will often be foremost in the assault ; and " our bitterest foes be those of our own household'."]
Having seen somewhat of David's trial, let us con- sider,
II. The determination he formed in consequence of it—
Neither abashed nor irritated, he calmly avowed his unalterable determination,
1. To serve his God without fear — [If to bear this open testimony for his God, and to glorify him thus in the sight of all Israel, was to render himself vile, " he would be more and more vile" as long as he lived. A noble resolution this, and worthy to be adopted by every child of man ! Are the servants of Satan bold, and shall Jehovah's servants be cowards ? Shall the ungodly commit all manner of iniquity without shame, and the godly be ashamed of walking in the ways of righteousness ? No : there should be a holy energy in the soul of every saint, a readiness to rise to the occasion, however formidable that occasion be : he should have within him the elasticity of a strong well-tempered spring, whose reaction is always augmented by the pressure.
d Ps. Ixix. 10, 11. e Luke vii. 33, 34. f Matt. x. 24, 25. s John XV. 18. ^ Matt. v. 11. ' John xvi. 2.
•^ Acts xxvi. 24. 1 Matt. x. 30.