Secondly to shew you the grounds from whence it arises Thirdly why God doth permit it and fourthly make application The truth of the Doctrine you see plaine in the Text and as in the text so the Prophet hath many expressions to this purpose in the Psalmes see Psal 41. Fifthly my enemies speake evill of mee saying When shall be dye and his name perish Davids enemies were so bitter against him that they spake evill of him with the tongue and nothing would satisfie them but his life when shall hee dye end his name perish Vers 6. If hee come to speake with me he flatters but in his heart he heapoth Iniquity and when he comes abroad hee tells it forth when they come to the Prophet then they flatter as if they would comfort him and bemono his Condition but hated him in the heart and looke what they in their hearts did imagine of the Prophet that they tell abroad for truth so see Psal 109.3 They compassed mee about saith the Prophet with words of hatred and fought against me without a Cause what words were these living words as appeare vers 2. There was malice in the heart and it vented at the Tongue when their is malice in the heart of a Man or Woman then they plot which way to make their neighbour odious though without cause And as this was Davids Portion so it was Jobs also when his three Friends came to comfort him in stead of Comforting of him they Iudge him and Charge him of that which hee was cleare of as Iob 22.5 Is not thine Iniquity great say they as if they should have said Thou are a great sinner and now God hath met with thee it is thy Sinne have brought this upon thee and now God layes open thy hypocrisie But they Charged him falsly for God did it to him and as it was Iobs Portion so Ieremiah goes not Scot-free so Ierem. 18.18 Then they sayd come let us imagine some device against Jeremiah The Lord by the Prophet prefigures the ruine of the People under the parable of the Potters broken vessell and the Lord threatens to depopulate them and to take away his Ordinances from them if they did persist in doing evill in his sight They were so miraged against the Prophet for this that they are resolved they will bee reveaged on him then sayd they Come let us imagine some device against Jeremiah for the law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the Wise nor the Word from the Prophet Come let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed unto any of his words as if they should have said What does hee threaten us Come we will make him as bad as wee are let us slander him let us falsly accuse him wee are men of credit and shall be beleeved whatsoever we say of him let us smite him with the Tongue and what followed you may find in Chapter the 20th And it hath not onely been the Saints portion to have such things layd to their Charge as they are cleare of but it befell our Saviour Christ when hee was here upon earth in Matth 8. in verse 3. He was called a Blasphemer in verse 11. He was called a friend of Publicans and Sinners and in verse 34. Hee was called a Conjurer and if the head doe not escape what can the members goe free no the Disciple saith CHRIST is not above his Master did they not call Iohn Baptist a Divell Math. 11.18 I pray see what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 6.8 Wee saith the Apostle approve our selves to be the Ministers of Iesus Christ by honour and dishonour by euill report and good report as deceivers and yet true in patiently bearing bad report as well as good report which shew it is the portion of the godly Ministers as well as People to undergoe bad report as well as good you see the truth of the Doctrine is cleare to mee in the next place to shew you from what grounds this arise that the Enemies of the godly should Charge them with things they are cleare of 1. Reason It arises from the godly mans avoyding the way of the Wicked because others are not as bad as themselves and walke in the same way of Iniquity that they themselves doe walke in therefore they are offended at them this you may see 1 Pet. 4.4 They thinke it strange saith the Apostle that yee manne not with them to the same excesse of Riot therefore speake they evill of you that is the ground from whence it ariset it is a wonder to them they thinke it strange as if they should say What shall none be saved but such as pray and read and run after Sermons and are so exact in their lives as such and such are What not allow us now and then to sweare an Oath now and then to tell a lye now and then to be Drunke now and then to play the good fellow nay are they so stricke wee will smite them with the Tongue wee are resolved we will make them more odious then they make us and the ground of it is because they have the way of a godly man The Prophet Davids expression is They that reward mee evill for good are my Adversaries because I follow goodnesse Psal 38.20 That it the ground whence it arises because I follow goodnesse the wicked doth not so much hate the sinne that they see in a godly man for they will approve of the same sinne in their Companions but they are glad if they see any misdemeanour in a child of God that they might reproach them because they labour after that which it good And hence it comes to passe if they see no just cause why they should reproach a child of God that they will invent something against them their hearts are so bitter against that of God that they see in them A second ground from whence it arises it the Hipocrifie in the heart there is so much hypocrisie in the hearts of men and women that they thinke all is well with themselves they have no need of Repentance of Reformation of life they are good Men and Women and have hearts as good as the best like the Pharises justifie themselves before men Luke 16.15 but they are soone ready to judge others to be very wicked and in a bad case The ground of their judgeing and condemning of others is the hypocrifie in their hearts they judge not themselves the Pharisee had a good opinion of themselves and therefore condemned Christ and his Apostles this is the Reason why people many times spic a fault in another it may be where none is because they cannot spie out their owne as our Saviour Christ saith Mat. 7.11 Why seest thou a moate in thy brothers eye and perceivest not a beame in thy owne for truly if people would search at home they would not be so ready to condemne others and justifie themselves A third ground from whence it
a warning to mee for ever to watch against that sinne for the time to come I will pray more against that particular sinne then I have done and watch more against that sinne then I have done through Gods help they shall never have occasion to rejoyce over me in that kind truly I verily believe many a child of God can say by experience I should never have prayed and watched against such a sinne so much had not God used the tongues of the wicked as preventing Physick I know not my owne heart but that I might have fallen into such and such a finne had not God by this meanes hedged up my way with thornes and this is a third good comes of it Fourthly God doth by this meanes exercise the graces in his people by letting them undergoe bad report as well as good report hee tries whether they will cleave close to him in all conditions as Psal 44.15 16 17. Confusion is daily before mee shame hath covered my face for the voice of the slanderer and rebuker though all this is come upon us yet have wee not forgotten thee not dealt falsly concerning thy Covenants Fifthly God doth by this meanes teach them how to judge of others when they are falsly accused for the time to come they will not receive a false report against their neighbour they will know the truth of a thing before they believe it and they know how to comfort others in the like condition and thus God disposes of it for good and thus God makes the wicked the servants of his people in that very thing which the wicked thinke to wrong them most in for hee uses the wicked as the rod and wisp to scoure off the rust of their graces and to correct their securitie and when the rod hath done its office then it is throwne into the fire and thus you see how God disposes of the wickeds false accusations of his people for good 1 Vse It then informes us that it is no new thing for the people of God to be falsly accused It was the device of the Devil long agoe to accuse falsly as soone as there was a World and man was created and placed in Paradise he accuses God to man by possessing our first parents that God had not dealt well with them in denying them to cate of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill and truly the devill hath not lived five thousand and odde hundred yeares for nothing but the same devill that at first accused God to man can doe so still and if hee will accuse God falsly no marvell if hee teach his schollers to accuse Gods people falsly Wee find it was Davids portion Christs portion the Apostles portion and what doe you thinke as the devill growes old hee growes childish and forgets how to teach his schollers the same lessons now hee did a great while agoe no surely as false accusations have been the portion of Gods people formerly so it may be still and therefore if such a thing happen let not Gods people carrie themselves so as if some strange thing happened to them 2. Vse It informes us what desperate wickednesse and malice is in the hearts of wicked people against the godly which appeares by their desire to rejoyce over the godly for their infirmiries they watch for occasions and if they cannot finde occasion then they will invent something against them charging them with things which they knew not but I leave this and come to a use of instruction which concerne both the accuser and accused First if it be so that Gods people may be falsly accused this should teach the people of God these lessons first take heed that yee give not the wicked just occasion to rejoyce by not walking as children of the light for if they watch for occasion and will falsly accuse without a cause what would they doe if they had a cause seeing they waite for a opportunity how does it behoove Gods people to walke exactly as Goll 4.5 Walke wisely towards those that are without and Eph. 5.15 Take heed yee walke circumspectly what ever others doe Yee that are children of the light yee that are the Lords redeemed ones take heed that yee walke circumspectly walke so as yee may not give just occasion to the wicked to open their mouthes against religion But may some say though the people of God walke never so exactly yet the wicked will charge them with things which they know not Then first consider though they doe yet it will afford the peace of Conscience when the enemie falsly accuse thee truly it will be very comfortable for a poore soule to say in such a condition Well they lay to my charge things that I knew not of Secondly consider it will shame your enemies in time when you walke thus exactly when they are found lyers and slanderers and backbiters then they will be ashamed and againe thirdly Such exact walking will in time stop the mouthes of wicked people whether they will or no they shall in time be driven to confesse well wee made account to have triumphed over such a one but now wee see wee are mistaken as 1 Pet. 2.15 By well doing yee put to filence the foolish people so the people of God by exact walking will in time silence the wicked The second thing that this Doctrine should teach the people of God is how to carrie themselves as they ought under false reports but you will say How should a child of God carrie himselfe under false reports so as hee may not dishonour God in that condition I answer First Gods people should beare reproach patiently Iesus Christ is a very good patterne for the Saints to imitate in this particular hee did no wickednesse neither was there any guile found in his mouth and yet the text saith Matth 8. That he was called a blasphemer and a friend of Publicans and sinners and a Conjurer and one that casts out Devils by the help of the Devill and yet our Saviour Christ wee cannot find he answered one word againe the text saith When hee was reviled he reviled not againe when he suffered hee threatned not but committed it to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2.23 Herod delivered him up Iudas betrayed him Pilate condemned him they spit upon him crowned him with thornes bare false witnesse against him put him to death and yes hee prayes Father forgive them they know not what they doe So the like wee see in Stephen in Acts the sixth There rose up false witnesse against him and said they heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses and against God and yet for all this they beare false witnesse against him and in justly condemned him to death stoned him with stones He prayed Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.59 These are good patternes for the Saints to follow in all their reproaches from the wicked and there are divers motives may be to the godly as
hath not lived five thousand and odde yeares for nothing but that by this time nay long agoe he taught his schollers some of his cunning and they through the corruption of their hearts are so tractable to learne the Devils art that they are very exact in this piece of service to accuse the godly and charge them with things that they knew not A eighth ground from whence it arises is rash judgement the wicked judge all to be as bad as some and hence it comes to passe if a professor fall into a sinne they are ready to say of all that professe Christ they are all alike when David fell the enemies of God blasphemed not that wicked people hate the sinne for they can allow the same sinne in themselves they condemne in others but they are enemies to true Religion and are glad of any occasion to speake against Religion saying this is your Religion and this is your profession but let mee tell such thus much that religion that teach men to be wicked is naught and to bee cryed downe and in some causes a man may justly charge the failings of people upon their religion as to instance if I see a Antinomian that denies the morall Law to be a rule of life to a believer sweare lye slander neglect holy duties I may justly say to such this is your Religion for if they take away that Law that forbids swearing and lying false witnesse bearing and command the true worship of God then by what Rule shall such people lead their lives for it is true the Law is ended to a believer as a Covenant of workes to seeke righteousnesse and salvation by the doing of it but it is not endad as a rule of direction for the well ordering of our lives so that when such as deny the Law to be a Rule of life live contrary to the Law I may justly say such a religion such actions and thus I might instance concerning divers other Religions but when a mans religion teaches him nothing but holinesse to give himselfe onely to God and crie downe all appearance whatsoever if such a one fall into sinne take heed of charging it upon his religion for God will not put it up at thy hands Ezek. 36.23 I will sanctifie my great name amongst the heathen whom yee have polluted The heathen charged all the wickednesse they see amongst the Iewes upon their God and religion as if they should have said I warrant they have a good God and a good religion that they are so wicked well saith the Lord are yee so ready to charge all upon mee and upon religion I will be even with you I will before I have done with you make you to know I am the Lord and that religion teach my people no such things so say I you that charge all the falles of professors upon God and upon religion God will be even with you and hee will make you know before he have done with you that the fault is to be charged upon the wickednesse in their hearts and not upon religion Suppose God doth now or then discover a hypocrite or now and then let a deare child of his fall into a sinne this is not a sufficient argument to fall upon religion and say who would be of such a religion except their religion doe allow them in such actions then wee must know that all that professe religion are not truely religious for there are many that preach Christ and professe Christ that Iesus Christ will not owne at the last day Matth. 7. â—1 The stony ground made glorious shewes and yet came to nothing Math. 13. And many saith Christ shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13.24 therefore the backslidings of some and falls of some is no argument to prove all are such for there are some God will keep by his power through faith to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Objection But you will say why does God permit wicked people to lay to the charge of the godly such things as they are cleere of God if hee pleased he could prevent it and stop the mouthes of the wicked that they should not be able to speake against his children Answer As all things worke for the best to them that love God so this works for the good of Gods people God doth permit it for the good of his people and thus he frustrates the hopes of the wicked they intend evill against the godly and God disposes of it for good as Ioseph said to his brethren you intended evill against mee and God disposed of it for good So may wee say to such as falsly slander Gods people you intended evill against the people of God but God disposes of it for good there is a five fold good that God brings out of it to his people First God doth by this meanes humble them and brings them to examine what is amisse so that though they be cleare of that crime laid to their charge yet they will then examine whether there be nothing else amisse betwixt God and them they will search their hearts and walke more humble and cleave more close to the Lord. Secondly God doth by this meanes bring tthem the oftner upon their knees to seeke unto him to plead their cause and to cleare their innocency how oft did the Prophet seeke unto God when the wicked did falsly accuse him how doe hee make his moane at the throne of grace unto God beseeching him to plead his cause and to keep him close in his way that the wicked might not rejoyce at his downefall so when Gods people sees that it is that which the wicked would have that which is their joy to see the godly fall into such and such a sinne then the godly will pray more earnestly with David Lord lead mee in a right path because of my observers then they will be earnest with God to keep them from falsing into that sinne that the wicked desire they might fall into and this is a second good that comes of it Thirdly God doth use the teproach of the wicked as a preventing medicine against that crime which the wicked lay to their charge the godly have unrenued nature as well as renued and if God should leave them never so little to themselves they are not their owne keepers they might fall into that sinne which the wicked layes to their charge and every godly man and woman may say when they are falsly accused it is Gods mercy that I did not fall into that sinne they lay to their charge had God left me to my selfe I might have beene guilty of that crime they lay to my charge and God doth use wicked peoples tongues as a warning against such a sinne that when they see how the wicked joy at a brat of their owne hatching then they consider if the wicked thus joy without a cause what would they doe if they had just cause well by the help of God this shall bee
familiar friend whom I trusted which did eat at my table hath lifted up the heele against mee though the thing should bee true yet when one pretends friendship and flatter to a mans face that they might revile him behind his back without suspicion this discovers the envie in the heart and aggravates the sinne Object But some may say wee may speake any thing that is true Shall your precise people doe what they list and no body shall controule them I answer in some causes a man may not speake of the failings of a child of God and in some causes they may speake of their failings First a man hath no ground to speake evill of those things which hee knowes not in things that wee doe not know are true and in things that wee doe not know whether ever there were any such thing intended by the parties or no wee have nothing to doe to condemne them for I would faine know by what rule either from the light of nature or grace a man is to be condemned for things that he knowes not this is to take Gods place to judge the heart of another it is God onely that searches the heart and hee hath reserved it to himselfe to judge the heart therefore saith Christ Iudge not that yee be not judged Matthew 7.1 And God doth severely punish such as take his worke out of his hand for with what Iudgement ye judge saith Christ yee shall be judged and with what measure yee meet it shall be measured to you againe God bids us looke to our owne hearts but he forbids us judging the hearts of others 1 Cor. 4.5 Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are had in darkenesse and if God will doe it what have any to doe to take his worke out of his hands Secondly the godly are not to be evill spoken of for meere frailties and infirmities which either they take little notice of or else they groane under the burthâ—n of to speake evill of them or bring a odium upon them for such things it argues that there is malice in the heart Thirdly the godly are not to be evill spoken of publickly by discovering a secret when the revealing of it can no way make for Gods glory or the good of others but rather bring dishonour to God it doth argue that that man or woman which discovers it is a slanderer and malicious in heart against the other partie for saith the wise man He that goeth about as a slanderer discovers a secret but he that is of a faithfull heart concealeth a matter Prov. 11.13 So they are branded out to be malicious slanderers unfaithfull It is a signe of a wicked heart when people are glad of any thing to set upon the stage against a child of God Fourthly the godly are not to be evill spoken of behind their back for as I told you before God will not put it up at their hands the backbiter shall not bee established upon the earth Fifthly the godly are not to be evill spoken of for their goodnesse their exact walking with God but this I have spoken of already and therefore I come to shew you in what causes the failing of Gods people may be spoken of First when private admonition will doe no good but they remaine obstinate still the Lord Iesus Christ saith Matt. 18.15 Tell thy brother his fault between him and thee and if hee heare thee thou hast wonne thy brother if heare thee not tell it to two or three and if he be obstinate still tell it to the Church I pray you marke the words our Saviour doth not bid them goe and tell scoffers and jeerers at holinesse of it that will indeavour thereby to make God Religion odious but tell it to the Church that they might come under the Censure of Excommunication untill such time as they acknowledge their fault and give satisfaction to the godly concerning the crime for let a thing be never so true of a child of God they that will speake of it so as to set upon the Stage to Gods dishonour the disgrace of the Gospell and the prejudice of Religion truly it is a signe they never yet truly learned what belongs to religion or humanity either Secondly in things that are too apparently evill that is things that are so open and manifeâ—t that all the Country takes notice of it then they are to bee reproved openly Or thirdly when the speaking of their failings make for Gods glory and the good of Religion In these causes the failings of the Godly may bee spoken of so as those that speake of them observe these cautions First that the ground 〈◊〉 his speaking of his neighbour be nor revenge and a desire to disgrace the other partie for if these be the grounds though the thing they speake be true yet their end is evill and God will find it out and punish it I pray see Prov. 24.17 Be not thou glad when thy Enemy fals let not thy heart joy when hee stumbles least the Lord see it and be wrath and turne his wrath from him to thee if God will bring that plague upon thee that should have come upon thy Enemie if thou haddest not joyed at his downefall What doest thou thinke God will bring upon such as joy at the downefall of such as are no Enemies Secondly It must be spoken at a fit and convenient time Prov. 29.11 A foole poures out all his mind at once but a prudent man keepeth it untill afterwards that is untill a convenient time untill his speech may bee seasonable Words in season are as Apples of Gold in pictures of silver and truly such in the text are branded with folly as not seasonable in their talke of the failings of the Godly but every bodie with them is alike and all times alike for to speake of the failings of the godly A foole poures out all his mind at once A fourth Vse is for exhortation First to those that falsly accuse the people of God my exhortation to you is to repent of this your wickednesse in time least you repent too late Consider what great bills of inditement the great God of Heaven and Earth will bring against you at the great day when every secret Plot shall be discovered Eccles 12. verse the last God will bring every worke to Iudgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill how will you be able to stand then when the Lord shall judge between thee and thy neighbour for this Iudge he will judge according to knowledge and righteously Magistrates may bee so corrupt as they may justifie the wicked and condemne the Iust and take part with the wicked against the people of God but God will bee a upright Iudge he will judge according to righteousnesse between man and man yea he that inhibits Kings to wrong his people Psal 105.15 Hee then will Iudge between Magistrates and his people Secondly be exhorted