Chap. 3 E. An Expofision upon the Book of J o a. Verf.36. them of that whichwas not their fault but their glory. They charged that as fin upon them whichwas their vertue, and their bigheft aâinggrace was all they had todifgrace them with. And are not fuch difgraces our glory and our crowne ? Chrill bath pronounced all them bleffed, and therefore honourable, who are thusdifgraced ( Math: 5. r r, t z.) Wed are you when mos./MI revileyore, andperfecute you, and fhallfay all manner of evill a- gainflyoufalfelyfor my namesfake . rejoyce andbeexceedingglad; for great isyour rewardin heaven; That,tobe fure,is no leffethen a crowne far greater andbetter then all earthly crownes.To that crownewe muft expeâ topaffe ( as the holy Apoftle did, 2 Cor. 6.8. ) by honour, anddifhoneur, by good report, and ill report,ae.de- eeavers andyet true. If there be any truth in ill reporto, they are dirt inour faces, and we have caufe to be humbled under them ; but if ill reports be falfe, we have caufe to rejoyce in them, and they will be crownes upon our heads. Let me adde thefe foure good counfels about thole evill re- ports which may fall upon us. Firer, ifill reports are true , then be humbled ; Secondly, if falfe, be comforted ; Thirdly, if they have any thing oftruth, or ( not being altogether untrue ) have fome very fimilitude or likenes to truth, then, 'cis good for us to fearch our hearts and try our wayes more ftrialy , whether ( though we havenot done the thingreported ) we have not gi- ven jult occafion for fuch a,report;or(though we have not done that evil!) whetherwe have avoyded all theappearances of that evill which is reported of us. It was fayd of avirgin, Shoe was shaft indeed, but not thought to befo, becaufe Thee was more wanton- ly attired then became a chaff virgin. Though we arenot fo ill as force fufpeet , yet poffibly we are not fo good as we would be thought and ought tobe ; This fhould be matter as of prelim humiliation, fo offuture caution. Fourthly, if we have not given fo much as any outward occafionof fufpition, yet we íhall doe wel to enquire whether we have not forceaffeâion toand ferret liking offuch fins; thisGod fometimes punifheth by ill reports, and makes us fee the undue wandrings of our owne hearts,by the undue wandrings ofother mens tongues concerningus. Againe, Seing 74,though he had many fins, and thofe loch ashis adverfarymight write a booke of,yet could binde the book of hisacculations as a crowne to him. Bbbbbz Note.
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