selfifb Pillions to be denied. name. It teems an intolerable dilhonour with felfifh perfons that are advanced by Pride to be great in their own eyes, for a a man to give them the lye, or to reproach their parentage, or make them feem bare : but they can hear twenty oaths and reproach3 of the truths or ways of God as quietly and patiently as if there were no harm in them. Their own enemies, Whom God commandeth them to love, they hate at the heart : but the enemies of God and holinefs, whom David hated with a perfect hatred , Pfal, a 3 9. 2 a, 22. do littleor nothing at all offend them. It is not thus with f elf-de- Aging gracious fouls. When David heard Shimei curfe him, he commanded his fouldiers to let himalone, for God had bidden Lim ; that is, by that affhding providence on David he had occasioned it, andby the withdrawing of his reftraint he had let out his malice, for a trial to David. ThusDavid could endure a man to go along by him curling him, and reviling him as a Trai- tor, and a man ofblood, and throwing ftones at him ; and he rebuked eAlifhal that would have taken offhis head, 2 Sam. 16. 7, 8,9,13. But when the fame David (peaks of the wicked, thefroward, the panderer, the proud, the lyar, and the deceitful, he refolveth that he will not know them, theyAall not dwell in bis boufe, nor tarry in his fight ; be hateth them; they shall depart from him ; he will cut them off, and early eleftroy them from the Land, andfrom the city of the Lord, Pfal. a or. So was it with Mops: wheal God was offended by the Idolatry ofthe /fraefites, he was fo zealous that he threw down the Tables of Stone, in which God had written the Law, andbroke them but when Miriam and Aaron fpake againft himfe/f; he let God alone with thecaufe, and only prayed for them; for faith the Text, [He arils verymeekabove all the men that were on theface oftheearth,] Numb. a z. 3. Phinehas his zeal for God did ftay the plague, and was imputed to him for righteournefs : when the filfilh zeal of Simeon and Levi was called but a curledanger, and brought a curieon them inftead of a bleffing from their dying Father, that they should be divided in Jacob ,. and fcattered in Ifrael ; and left them the name of hgrument, of cruelty , Gen. 49, 5, 6, 7. Take warning then from the Word of God ; and ufe your Paffions
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