210 An Expojition ·upon the Firft, If the R~proach tb<y_caft upon thtt be ttue and deferved, though tb ty ptrbaps have finned m drfdofing 1t to the VVorld, yet make this life of it go thou and liifclofe it in thy moll humble and penitent Confellions; umo God ; yea 'and if thou art called thetcaato by due Form of Law, give Glory umo God by ~onfer'lin g it be· f?ra Men. _Mon pofiibl~ ;nay upbraid thee with it, but by this Coutfe God will for· gtve thee wnhour upbtatdtng "thee. Smndly, If thoa art fa lily charged with that which never was in thine Heart to do, ret improve this Providence to £Hr thee up to pray the more fervent ly tflar God would for ever keep thee from falling into that Sin wirh which others llander thee; fo fhall ~11 their Reproach~ be throw~ meer\y into the. Air,. and fall at laft heavy upon thetr own Heads, whtlft thou reJotce!lm the Whttenefs an<i Innocency of thine own Soul. Thirdly, Ifany unju!Uyllander r!ec, revenge notthy fdfupon them by llandering them again: I mull confefs this 15 a very hard Le!fon, and "quires almoft an Angelica! PerfeaJon 10 perform ir well. We read in the Epifile of Sr. Jud<, that when Michael and the Devil <onmtded about the BO!Iy of Mofes, it is fa id that the Holy Angel dutft 11•1 hrinz a railing jjccujation ogainjl rbar wicked Spirir, but on ly faid, the Lord rebuke thee. And fo when Men of Devilifh Spirits fpew our their Slanders, and broach all rhe malicious Accufations that tbeir Father, the great Accufer, harh ever fuggeftcd unto them, return not Slander for Sander, for fo the Devil would teach thee to be a Devil; but with all Quietnefs and Meeknefs defire of God to re· blike their Lies and Calumnies, and by all wife and prudent Means vindicate rhy felf, dear up thine Inteerity, ani!-makelt appear that though the ilrcbtrs havrjhot at thee, ;mdforely grieved thee .with tbtir .Arrou)l, evut biller Words, yet jliii tby Bow nmaineth in itt Strength. What ftlth the Apo!lle? 2 Ptt. 3· 9· Rendtr not Evil f or Evil, or Railing for Railing. Aod Indeed whofoever doth fo feeks only to heal a Woend in his Name, by making a much deeper one in his Confcience. Fourthly, When thou att fallly afpen'd and llander'd, refer tby felf, and appeal to the All· knowiog God; retire into the Peace and Refuge of thine own Confcience,and there !halt thou find enough for their Confutatioo, and thy Comfort. Know that a good Name is in the Power of every Slanderous Toogue to bla!l; but they cannot corrupt thy Confcience to vote with them. Pofiibly it is o»ly the Excellency and Eminency of thy Grace that offends them; iffo, glory in it; forrhe Reproaches of wicked Men are the beft Teftlmonlals that can be given of an exceltent and fingu!ar Chrif!ian. In a llrifl and holy Converfation there is that Conrradiaion to the Loofe, Prophaoe, of the World, as at once both convinceth and vexeth them, reproves and provokes thorn. And if thou doft thus reproach them by thy Life, wonder nor at it if they again reproach thee by their Iyiog Slanders. Be not too folicirous how they efteem of tbee: It is miferable to live upon the Reports and Opinions ofothers 1 let us aot mach reckon what they fay, but what Reports our own Confciences make; and if a Storm of Obloquy and Reproaebe>, Railing1 and Slandm, do at any Time patter upon thee, how fweet is it tG retire inwards to the calm lonoccncy of our own Hearts? Tbere are a ThGUfaod Witne!fcs will tell us we hne not defcrvcd them. How comfortable is it to remit our Caufc unto God, and to leave our Vindication to him, for whofe Caufo we fuffer Reproach 1 Thus Jeremiah appeals to God, ]er. 20. 10, 12. I burd tbt. defaming ofmany; report, fay tbty, and we will report it: But, 0 Lordof lfojls, thou rbat trieft_~be Righltous, andfu.ft the Reins and the Htart, to tbct have I openeti my Caufe. Thus if whilft wicked Men are malicioully confpiring how to blot and fully our Names we can bur keep our Confciences clear, what need we much trouble our felves how the VVind blows abroad, fince we are harboured under the Retreat of a peaceable Heart 1 They may poffibly perfuade others to believe their Calumnies, but God. who fearcbetb the Heart and Confi:iente, knows that we are iojur'd; and he is ballening on.a Day wherein he will clear up our Righteoufnefs, and then the Tellimony of a good Confcteoco !hall put Ten Tboufand Slanderm to filence. And thus I have fpoken of this Second Sin, of Slander and DetraEiion. The Third Sin againft this Commandment is bafe Flattery and Soothing, wh icb b a quite oppofire Exrream eo the other, as both ara oppofite to Truth. Now thjs is eithet SelfHatrery, or the Flattering of others. Firft, There is a Self.H·Jttery. And indeed every Man is (as Plurard> well obferved it) hii own greate!t Flatterer ; and bowel'er empty and defeili1•e we may
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