Thou hearest, my son, what some others say: but what dost thou hear from the bird in thy bosom? If thy conscience acquit thee, and pronounce thee guiltless, obdure thy forehead against all the spite of malice. What is ill fame, but a little corrupted unsavoury breath? Do but turn away thine ear, that thou receive it not; and what art thou the worse? Oh, thy weakness, if thou suffer thyself to be blown over, by the mere air of some putrefied lungs; which, if thou do but a little decline by shifting thy foot, will soon vanish.

SECT. 4.

The improvement of our reason.

THOU art under ill tongues:-This is an evil proper only unto man. Other creatures are no less subject to disease, to death, to outward violence than he: but none else can be obnoxious to a detraction; since no other is capable of speech, whereout a slander can be formed. They have their several sounds and notes of expression, whereby they can signify their dislike and anger: but only man can clothe his angry thoughts with words of offence; so as that faculty, which was given him for an advantage, is depraved to a further mischief. But the same liberal hand of his Creator hath also endued him with a property of reason, which, as it ought to direct his language to others, so also to teach him how to make use of others' language to him; and, where he finds it wrongful, either to convince it by a just apology, or to contemn it. If, therefore, thou understandest thyself to lie under an unjust obloquy, have so much of man in thee, as either to confute or despise it.

SECT. 5.

The cause of our suffering.

THOU art shamefully traduced :-I could pity thy suffering; but, withal, give me leave to enquire, not so much what thou sufferest, as for what: if for a good cause, I shall turn my pity into envy. Truth itself told thee, thou art in the way to blessedness. Who can pity thee, for that, wherein thou hast cause to rejoice? Blessed are ye, when men revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; Matt. v. 11, 12. Yea, rather pluck up thy spirits; and take up the resolution of Holy Job, If mine adversary had written a book against me, surely I would take it upon my shoulders, and bind it as a crown to me;

Job xxxi. 35, 36: and say, with the gracious King of Israel, I will be yet more vile for the Lord; 2 Sam. vi. 22.

SECT. 6.

Our envied virtue.

THOU art reproached by lewd men:-Thank thine own virtue, that thou art envied. Wert thou so bad as thy detractors, thou shouldst sit quiet enough. If ye were of the world, saith our Saviour, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you; John xv. 19. While the moon sits, no dogs bark at her: it is her shining, that opens their mouths. Wert thou either obscure or wicked, thou mightest be safe; but, if thou wilt needs be eminently good, look for the lashes of ill tongues. They think it strange, that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot; speaking evil of you, saith the prime Apostle; 1 Peter iv. 4.

It was not without reason, that the great Musician, in the Story, struck his Scholar, because he saw the multitude applaud his skill; as well knowing, that had he been true to his Art, those misjudging ears could not have approved him.

What more excellent instruments had God ever in his Church, than the blessed Apostles; and what acceptation found they on the earth? Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off scouring of all things unto this day; 1 Cor. iv. 13. We are made a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men: v. 9. Complain, if thou canst, of a worse condition, than these great ambassadors of the High God: otherwise, resolve, with the Chosen Vessel, to pass cheerfully through honour and dishonour, through evil report and good report, toward the goal of immortality.

SECT. 7.

Others' slighting of just reproaches.

THOU art disgraced through scandalous reports :-It is not mere air, that we live by. How many hast thou known, that have blown over a just infamy with a careless neglect; pleasing themselves to think, that they have thriven even under curses! And shall their guiltiness be entertained, with more courage, than thine innocence? Let those, whose heart is as foul as their name, be troubled with deserved censures: do not thou give so much way to malice, as to yield any regard to her misraised suggestions. Thou canst not devise how more to vex a detractor, than by contempt: thus thou shalt force spite, as

that wise heathen truly said, to drink off the greatest part of her own poison.

SECT. 8.

The narrow bounds of infamy.

THOU art disgraced with an ill fame :-What a poor matter is this! How far dost thou think that sound reacheth? Perhaps, to the next village; perhaps further, to the whole shire wherein thou dwellest: it is like, the next county never heard thy name; and, if thou look yet further off, as soon mayest thou be talked of amongst the antipodes as in the neighbouring region. And what a small spot of earth is this, to which thy shame is confined! Didst thou know the vast extent of this great world, thou wouldst easily see into how narrow a corner our either glory or dishonour can be pent up; and shouldst confess, how little reason we can have to affect the one, or be disheartened with the other.

SECT. 9.

The short life of slander.

THOU art wronged with an unjust disgrace:-Have patience a while: slanders are not long lived. Truth is the child of time: ere long, she shall appear, and vindicate thee. Wait upon the God of Truth, who shall cause thy light to break forth as the morning; and thine health to spring forth speedily; Is. lviii. 8.

But, if otherwise, what speakest thou of this shame, which as it is local, so it is momentary; soon passed over in silence and oblivion. There is a shame, my son, which is worthy of thy fear which is both universal before the face of all the world, of angels, and men; and, beyond the reach of time, eternal. Fear this, and contemn the other.

On the contrary, if fame should befriend thee so much as to strain her cheeks in sounding thy praises, and should cry thee up for virtuous and eminent every way; alas, how few shall hear her, and how soon is that noise stilled, and forgotten! Eccl. ix. 1.

Shortly then, let it be thy main care, to demean thyself holily and conscionably before God and men: leave the rest upon God, who shall be sure to make his word good, in spite of men and devils, The memory of the just shall be blessed; but the name of the wicked shall rot; Prov. x. 7.

CHAP. VI.

COMFORTS AGAINST PUBLIC CALAMITIES.

SECT. 1.

The inevitable necessity of changes; and God's over-ruling them.

THOU art afflicted with the public calamities:-So it becomes thee, as a good man, a good Christian, a good patriot. We are not entire peers, but are all limbs of a community, both of Church and Kingdom. While the whole body suffers, how can we be free?

This should be no news to us. What earthly kingdom or state hath ever enjoyed a constant felicity? These public bodies, like as single persons, have their birth, their vigour, their declinations. Even the white marble of that famous emblem and type of God's Church, after not many centuries of years felt the dint of time, and mouldered to nothing. It is as much as those heavenly bodies above can do, to avoid change.

Well might we be distracted with these troubles, my son, if we did not well know whence they come; even from a most wise, holy, powerful, just Providence. He, that sits in heaven, orders these earthly affairs, according to the eternal counsel of his will. It is that Almighty hand, that holds the stern of this tossed vessel; and steers it in that course, which he knows best. It is not for us, that are passengers, to meddle with the card or compass. Let that All-Skilful Pilot alone, with his own work he knows every rock and shelf, that may endanger it; and can cut the proudest billow that threatens it, with ease: It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good; 1 Sam. iii. 18.

SECT. 2.

The sense and sympathy of common evils.

WERE there no other respects than personal, I cannot blame thee, if thy fears strive with thy grief for the public evils: every man's interest is involved in the common: and if the ship sink, what will become of the passengers?

But, withal, there is a kind of inbred sympathy in every good heart, which gives us a share in all others' miseries; and affects us more deeply for them, than for our own.

Old indulgent Eli loved his sons too well; and was there

fore, no doubt, very sensible of their death; yet that part of the news passed over with some, not mortal, passion: But, when he heard of the ark of God taken, now his neck and his heart were broken together; 1 Sam. iv. 17, 18: and his religious daughter-in-law, though she were delivered upon this report of a son, yet she died in travail of that heavy news; and could live only to say, Ichabod, The glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken; vv. 21, 22: disregarding her new son, when she heard of the loss of her people and of her God.

How many Pagans have we read of, that have died resolutely for their country; cheerfully sacrificing themselves to the public! how many, that would die with their country, hating to think of over-living the common ruin! how many, that have professed a scorn to be beholden for their lives to their people's murderer!

We shall as soon extinguish both grace and nature, as quit this compassionate sense of the common calamities.

SECT. 3.

The sure protection of the Almighty.

THOU grievest for the public distempers:-Mourn not, as one without faith. Be sure, He, that keepeth Israel, will neither slumber nor sleep. Wherefore was the holy tabernacle overspread with a strong tent of skins (Exod. xxvi. 7.) but to figure out unto us God's Church sheltered under a sure protection? He, that was so curious of the custody of his material temple, by night as well as by day, that a sleeping Levite might not escape beating, and burning of garments; how careful do we think he will ever be, of his spiritual and living house!

How unmeet judges are we, of his holy proceedings! We are ready to measure his love still by an outward prosperity, than which nothing can be more uncertain. The Almighty goes by other rules: such as are most consonant to his infinite justice and mercy. I am abashed to hear a Pagan, though no vulgar one, say, "Whatsoever is brought to pass, a wise man thinks ought to be so done; neither goes about to rebuke nature, but finds it best to suffer what he cannot alter." And shall we Christians repine at those seemingly harsh events, which we see fall out in God's Church, while we are ignorant of his designs; and be ready to bless a thriving profaneness? Look abroad, upon the ancient lot of God's inheritance, and their corrivals in glory: thou shalt see the family of Esau

d Sen. Ep. 107.