consider wealth, honour, learning, and influence of every kind, as talents committed to us for the purpose of honouring God with them, and of rendering our example more effectual for the good of others. And, whilst the world is reproaching us for the excess of our piety, we should be ever abasing ourselves on account of its defects. If we keep in view the perfect requirements of God's law, and the unbounded obligations which he has laid us under by the gift of his only-begotten Son, how infinitely short of our duty wall our best services appear ! " Our very righteousnesses, in this view, will be as filthy rags''," in which we can never hope to appear before God, and which can never come up with acceptance before him, till they have been washed in the Redeemer's blood '^. Thus, whether men admire or reproach us for our piety, we should equally abase ourselves, as in reality deserving neither their admiration nor their reproach, but rather their pity on account of the defectiveness of our services, and the smallness of our attainments.]
Address,
1. Those who cast reproaches on the saints —
[Behold Michal and David on this occasion, and say, whether you would not rather be the persecuted saint, than the malignant persecutor ? Is there a creature in the world who must not acknowledge the superiority of David's state, in the midst of all the ignominy that was cast upon him ? Such then is the state of God's people in the midst of all the calum- nies with which they are loaded, and such is the light in which their calumniators are regarded by Almighty God. In the instance before us, God marked his displeasure against Michal, by inflicting the curse of barrenness upon her to her dying- hour^. And us also he warns in the most solemn manner to avoid the rock on which she split : " Be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong^." If we choose not to serve God ourselves, let us beware how by scoffing and ridicule we dis- courage others : for our Lord tells us, that " it were better for us that a millstone were hanged about our neck, and we were cast into the depths of the sea, than that we should offend one of his little ones'." To perish under the guilt of our own sins will be terrible enough : but to have " the blood of others also required at our hands" will be an inconceivable augmentation of our guilt and misery. This then would I entreat of all who despise and persecute the followers of Christ. Look into the Scriptures : see whether you approve of Cain, of Ishmael, of Michal, of Festus, or of any who bear the stamp and character
e Isai. Ixiv. 6. ^ Rev. vii. 14. s ver. 23.
h Isai. xxviii. 22. ' Matt, xviii. 6.
314.J David's gratitude. 257
of revilers in the Sacred Records : see whether in your con- sciences you do not rather side with Abel, and Isaac, and David, and Paul, and all the other sufferers, " of whom the world itself was not worthy''?" And if your own consciences bear testimony to the saints, dare not to walk in the steps of their oppressors, persecuting the living saints, whilst you raise memorials to the dead^]
2. Those who are called to sustain them —
[Think it not strange that reproach is cast upon you for righteousness' sake ; for thus it has been from the beginning : " They who have been born only of the flesh ever have perse- cuted those who are born after the Spirit," and so they will continue to do even to the end. You may, if you please, avoid persecution : " if you will be of the world, the world will love its own." But are you prepared to sacrifice all your hopes and prospects in the eternal world? St. James says, that "the friendship of the world is enmity with God ; and that they who will be the friends of the world, must be the enemies of God : " say then, Are ye in doubt which of the alternatives to choose? Wliat good can the world do you by its friendship, or what evil can it inflict by its enmity? To kill the body is the worst that they can do. But what will not God do for his faithful servants? and what will he not inflict on those who turn back from liim ? Can you think of being denied by Christ before the assembled miiverse, and not tremble™? O consider this, and you will not hesitate a moment whom to serve ; but will " choose that good part which shall never be taken away from you." You \\'ill gladly " suffer affliction with the people of God, and esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the whole world."]