That is, in the sentence of the law; there is a curse gone out against him; the man is gone, lost, condemned already.

2. This curse abideth upon us until we believe in Christ. The sentence of the law is not repealed: "He that believeth not,—the wrath of God abideth on him" (John iii. 36). "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us," &c. (Gal. iii. 18).

3. When Christ is tendered, and finally refused, then the sentence of the law is ratified in the Gospel, or the court of mercy. A court of Chancery God hath set up in the Gospel for penitent sinners; but then it follows: "This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness," &c. When God shall tender men better conditions by Christ, and they turn their backs upon it, then is this curse confirmed. USE I.-Consider how matters stand between God and us; examine how it is with you. Here let me lay down these propositions by way of trial :

1. Every man by nature is in a cursed condition (Eph. ii. 3); every man is liable to Adam's forfeiture and breach; the elect children of God, as well as others, are liable to the curse.

2. There is no way to escape this curse, but by flying to Christ for refuge (Heb. vi. 18). As a man would fly from the avenger of blood, so should we fly from the curse of the law that is at our heels. Wrath is

abroad seeking out sinners; now, saith the Apostle, "Oh that I might be found in him."

3. A sense of this benefit we have by Christ, will necessarily beget an unfeigned love to him; else we can have no evidence, but the curse doth still remain; and therefore it is said: "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maranatha” (1 Cor. xvi. 22); accursed till the Lord come, that is for ever and ever. How can a man think he shall be the better for Christ, that doth not love Christ, nor delight in him, and have no value for him? and therefore if you have not this love to Christ, it is a sign you have no benefit by him, you have not that faith that will give you a title.

4. This love must be expressed by a sincere obedience, for "this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments" (1 John v. 3); and, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Gal. v. 24). They are not Christ's, are not to be reckoned to him merely that make a profession of his name, and with whom his memory seems to be precious; but they are Christ's that testify love to Christ. Do you perform duties for Christ's sake?

USE II. To press you to come out of the curse which cleaves to all impenitent sinners. Oh, what a dreadful condition are they in! and how soon God may take advantage of this curse, and cut us off from a possibility of grace, we cannot tell; and at the last day this curse will be ratified. Therefore be sensible of the burden, come out of it; this is God's end in shutting up a sinner under such a fatal necessity. Either you must perish for ever, or run to Christ. This should quicken us the more to fly to his mercy.

Thirdly, They are not only cursed, but "rebuked:" "Thou hast rebuked the proud," &c. Observe:

DOCTRINE III.-The rebukes of God's providence upon impenitent sinners, they are of great use to the saints.

1. They are arguments of his displeasure against the proud, and against the impenitent. God, that is so merciful to the humble and broken-hearted,

that looketh to him that is poor and contrite and trembles at the word (Isa. lxvi. 2); he can be severe and just against those that deal proudly, that lift up the heel against him (Psalm lxviii. 21). It is twice repeated, "Our God is a God of salvation; but he will wound the head of his enemies," &c. Mark, though mercy be God's delight, verily he is a God of salvation; yet we must not imagine a God, all of honey, and all sweetness. If men be proud, obstinate, and impenitent, they shall be cursed; and not only cursed, but they shall be rebuked.

66

2. It is a proof and document given to the world, how tender God is of his word, how willing to satisfy the world. This is the rule we must stand by, "Thou hast rebuked them." Why? "Because they erred from thy commandment." God hath authorised and ratified the law by the rebukes of his providence, and makes it authentic, and valid in the hearts and consciences of men: "The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," &c. (Rom. i. 18). Mark, "it is revealed from heaven:" the events which fall out in the world, we should not look upon them as casual strokes, or a chance that happened to us in the way, but as discoveries from Heaven; the word is the rule of life; mark again, against all ungodliness," this is the breach of the first table; "and against all unrighteousness," which is the breach of the second table. God hath owned both tables: "The word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward" (Heb. ii. 2). He means the law, which was delivered by the ministry of angels: now every "transgression," by that he means sins of commission; and every "disobedience," by that he means sins of omission; and God hath met with every breach and every violation of the law, how punctually God hath exemplified every commandment in his judgment. And if he would make collections of providence, we might easily find this, how God hath rebuked pride, and that because they err from his commandment.

Again, It may be improved as a check against envy at the prosperity of the wicked. Do not call the proud happy, they are cursed already, and in time shall be punished. Mark the end of the wicked (Psalm xxxvii. 17). First or last God will manifest from Heaven his displeasure against their impenitency. By daily experience we may see that they thrive ill that set themselves against God.

And then it serves to confirm the truth of the threatening. Oh! when God inflicteth judgments, remember the curse of the law is not in vain ; after the thundering of the threatening, there will break out the bolt of confusion and destruction upon the wicked, so that you must either do or die for it.

USE. Let this persuade men to break off their sins by repentance, that you may be sensible of the wretchedness of your condition. God's words are deeds. Men may curse, and yet God may bless for all that; but God's curse is sure to take place. Let us make that use which David doth of it, to excite our affections to the word of God, by the vengeance which God taketh of the pride and scorn of others. The examples of others shipwrecking themselves by their rebellion against God, are sanctified when they make us more careful and watchful that we err not from God's commandments.

SERMON XXIII.

VERSE 22.-Remove from me reproach and contempt: for I have kept thy testimonies.

David was derided for keeping close to God's word, possibly by those proud ones mentioned in the former verse; they contemned the word themselves, and would not suffer others to keep it: as the Pharisees would neither enter into the kingdom of God themselves, nor suffer others to enter. But David makes this an argument to beg the Lord's grace, to wit, light and strength, that he might give no occasion to their reproach; and if it lighted upon him, that it might not rest upon him. Or by the proud men may be meant Saul's courtiers who traduced his innocency, and sought to overwhelm him with slander. Now God knew his conscience and integrity, and therefore could best clear him.

In the words (as in most of the other verses) you have,—

1. A request: "Remove from me reproach and contempt."

2. A reason and argument to enforce the request: "For I have kept thy testimonies."

First, For the request, "Remove from me reproach and contempt;" the word signifies, Roll from upon me, let it not come at me, or let it not stay with me.

And then the argument: "for I have kept thy testimonies." The reason may be either thus: (1.) He pleads that he was innocent of what was charged upon him, and had not deserved those aspersions. (2.) He intimates that it was for his obedience, for this very cause, that he had kept the word, therefore was reproach rolled upon him. (3.) It may be conceived thus, that his respect to God's word was not abated for this reproach, he still kept God's testimonies, how wicked soever he did appear in the eyes of the world. It is either an assertion of his innocency, or he shows the ground why this reproach came upon him. Or he pleads his respect to God; and his service was not lessened, whatever reproach he met with in the performance of it.

The points from hence are many.

I. It is no strange thing that they which keep God's testimonies should be slandered and reproached.

II. As it is the usual lot of God's people to be reproached; so it is very grievous to them, and heavy to bear.

III. It being grievous, we may lawfully seek the removal of it. So doth David, and so may we, with submission to God's will.

IV. In removal of it, it is best to deal with God about it; for God is the great witness of our sincerity, as knowing all things, and so to be appealed to in the case. Again, God is the most powerful assertor of our innocency; he hath the hearts and tongues of men in his own hands, and can either prevent the slanderer from uttering reproach, or the hearer from the entertainment of the reproach. He that hath such power over the consciences of men, can clear up our innocency, therefore it is best to deal with God about it; and prayer many times proves a better vindication than an apology.

V. In seeking relief with God from this evil, it is a great comfort and ground of confidence when we are innocent of what is charged. In some cases we must humble ourselves, and then God will take care for our credit;

we must plead guilty when, as by our own fault, we have given too much occasion to the slanders of the wicked: so, "Turn away my reproach which I fear, for thy judgments are good" (Psalm cxix. 39). "My reproach," for it was in part deserved by himself, and therefore he feared the sad consequences of it, and humbles himself before God. But at other times we may stand upon our integrity, as David saith here: "Turn away my reproach and contempt, for I have kept thy testimonies."

These are the points which may be drawn from this verse; but I shall insist but upon one of them, which, in the prosecution of it, will comprise all the rest; and that is this :—

DOCTRINE. That reproaches are a usual, but yet a great and grievous affliction to the children of God. I will show,—

1. They are a usual affliction.

2. They are a grievous affliction.

First, They are a usual affliction. Reproaches are either such as light upon religion itself, or upon our own persons.

1. Upon religion itself: sometimes the truth is traduced, and the way of God is evil spoken of, disguised with the nick-names of sedition, heresy, schism, faction. Look, as astronomers miscall the glorious stars by the name of the Dog-star, the Bear, the Dragon's-tail, and the like; they put upon them names of a horrid sound: so do carnal men miscall the glorious things of God, his holy ways, they put an ill name upon them: "After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers" (Acts xxiv. 14). The Jews called Christianity a heresy, or an apostasy from the old religion: and so do Papists call the Reformation. Luther, when he was charged with apostasy from the faith, answered thus: "I confess I am an apostate, but from the Devil's cause; I have not kept touch with the Devil." In Cant. v. 7; we read that the spouse's veil was taken from her by the watchmen: so the comeliness of the church is taken away by the imputations of evil men. Thus there may reproaches light upon religion itself. Or,

2. On our persons; and so either for religion's sake, or upon a private and personal respect.

(1.) For religion's sake; and thus God's children have often been calumniated. It is foretold by Christ as the lot of his people; and therefore he provides against it: "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake" (Matt. v. 11). Those who have no strength and power to inflict other injuries, have these weapons of malice always in readiness. When other kinds of persecutions and violence are restrained, yet men take a liberty of censuring and speaking all manner of evil falsely against the children of God; and ever this hath been verified in the experience of the saints. Their lives are a real reproach to the wicked, they do upbraid them; and therefore to be quits with them, the wicked reproach them by censures and calumniations. Shall I give some instances? Moses had his portion of reproaches: "Esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt" (Heb. xi. 26). Possibly the Holy Ghost means there, when he was scoffed at for joining himself with so mean and afflicted a people: they thought Moses was mad to quit all his honours. Christ himself was accused of the two highest crimes of either table of blasphemy and sedition; of blasphemy, which is the highest crime against the first table; and of sedition, which is the highest crime against the second.

And all that will be Christ's, they must expect to bear his reproach: "Let us go forth therefore unto him, without the camp, bearing his reproach" (Heb. xiii. 13). The Apostle alludes to the sacrifice of atonement, which was to be slain without the camp: so Jesus Christ was cast out of the city; and we must be contented thus to be cast off by the world, to be cast forth from among men as vile and accursed, bearing Christ's reproach.

(2.) For personal reproaches; this is very usual with God's children also, reproaches upon private and personal occasions. God may let loose a railing Shimei against David. Many times he complains of his reproaches, often in this psalm, more in other psalms: "For I have heard the slander of many, they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life" (Psalm xxxi. 13). Sundry sorts of persons made him the butt, upon which they let fly the arrows of censure and reproach: "The abjects gathered themselves together against me; they did tear me, and ceased not" (Psalm xxxv. 15); meaning his name was torn and rent in pieces, and that by the abjects: such bold and saucy dust will be flying in the faces of God's people. So I may speak of Jeremiah and Joseph, and other servants of God, yea our Lord himself endured the contradiction of sinners. Jesus Christ, that was so just and innocent, which did so much good in every place, yet meets with odious aspersions: so," They bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words that they may shoot in secret at the perfect; suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not" (Psalm lxiv, 3, 4). Perfection meets with envy, and envy will vent itself by detraction. A usual affliction for the people of God, and therefore we cannot say they are wicked, because they are traduced; and we should not presently condemn all those of whom we hear evil. It was the fashion of the primitive times to clothe Christians with bears' skins, and bait them with the dogs. God's best children may be clad in an ill livery; and therefore we should not easily take up these slanders. Thus it is a usual affliction.

Secondly, It is a grievous affliction (verse 39). David saith he looked upon it as a great evil. In the account of Scripture it is persecution : Ishmael is said to persecute Isaac (Gal. iv. 29). How? because he mocked him; compare it with Gen. xxi. 9. Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had borne unto Abraham, " mocking," and in the reddition and interpretation, the Holy Ghost calls it a "persecution:" so they are called "cruel mockings" (Heb. xi. 36). There is as much cruelty, and as deep a wound made by the tongue of reproach many times, as by the fist of wickedness. Reproach must needs be grievous to God's children upon a natural, and upon a spiritual account.

1. Upon a natural account, because a good name is a great blessing. See how it is against nature. It is more grievous than ordinary crosses; many would lose their goods cheerfully, yet they grieve more for the loss of their name. Some constitutions are affected more with shame, than with fear; and above all their possessions they prize their name and credit. To most proud spirits, disgraceful punishment is much more dreadful than painful. "All they that see me, laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head" (Psalm xxii. 7). A good name is more precious than life to some: 66 A good name is better than precious ointment : and the day of death, than the day of one's birth" (Eccles. vii. 1). The coupling of these two sentences shows, men had rather die than lose their name. If a man die, he may leave his name and memory behind him that