Part 6

Again, when we are reviled for the sake of Christ and religion, let us take encouragement from hence, that herein we have the same treatment that he, and all his saints, have met with, Heb. xii. 2, 3. chap. xi. 36. And let us also consider that there are many promises annexed hereunto, Matt. v. 11, 12. 1 Pet. iv. 14. It is also an advantage to our character as Christians; for hereby it appears, that we are not on their side, who are Christ’s avowed enemies; and therefore we should reckon their reproach our glory, Heb. xi. 26, or, as the apostle says, _Take pleasure in reproaches for Christ’s sake_, 2 Cor. xii. 10. or, as it is said elsewhere, _Rejoice, that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for his name_, Acts v. 41. Thus concerning our doing injury to our neighbour, by speaking against him before his face. We shall now consider,

2. The injury that is done to others by speaking against them behind their backs. This they are guilty of, who raise or invent false reports of their neighbours, or spread those which ought to be kept secret, with a design to take away their good name; these are called tale-bearers, back-biters, slanderers, who offer injuries to others, that are not in a capacity of defending themselves, Lev. xix. 16. These malicious reports are oftentimes, indeed, prefaced, with a pretence of great respect to the person whom they speak against. They seem very much surprised at, and sorry for what they are going to relate; and sometimes signify their hope, that it may not be true; and desire, that what they report may be concealed, while they make it their business themselves to divulge it. But this method will not secure their own reputation, while they are endeavouring to ruin that of another. This is done various ways;

(1.) By pretending that a person is guilty of a fault which he is innocent of. Thus our Saviour, and John the Baptist were charged with immoral practices, which there was not the least shadow or pretence for, Matt. xi. 18, 19.

(2.) By divulging a real fault which has been acknowleged and repented of, and therefore ought to be concealed, chap. xvii. 15. or when there is no pretence for making it public; but what arises from malice and hatred of the person.

(3.) By aggravating, or presenting faults worse than they are. Thus Absalom’s sin in murdering Amnon, was very great; but he that brought tidings thereof to David, represented it worse than it was, when he said, that Absalom had _slain all the king’s sons_, 2 Sam. xiii. 30.

(4.) By reporting the bad actions of men, and, at the same time, over-looking and extenuating their good ones, and so not doing them the justice of setting one in the balance against the other.

(5.) By putting the worst and most injurious construction on actions that are really excellent. Thus, because our Saviour admitted Publicans and sinners into his presence, and did them good by his doctrine, the Jews reproached him as though he were a _friend of publicans and sinners_, Matt. xi. 19. taking the word _friend_ in the worst sense, as signifying an approver of them.

(6.) By reporting things, to the prejudice of others, which are grounded on such slender evidence, that they themselves hardly believe them, or, at least, would not, had they not a design to make use thereof, to defame them. Thus Sanballat, in his letter to Nehemiah, tells him, that ‘he and the Jews thought to rebel; and built the wall of Jerusalem, that he might be their king,’ Neh. vi. 6. which, it can hardly be supposed, that the enemy himself gave any credit to. Thus concerning the instances in which persons back-bite, or raise false reports on others.

And, to this we may add, that as they are guilty who raise them; so are they who listen to, and endeavour to propagate them. It is not, indeed, the bare hearing of a report, which, we cannot but think to be attended with malice and slander, that will render us guilty; for that we may not be able to avoid; but it is our encouraging him that raises or spreads it, which renders us guilty; and, particularly, we sin when we hear malicious reports.

[1.] If we conceal them from the party concerned therein, and so deny him the justice of answering what is said against him, in his own vindication.

[2.] When we do not reprove those who make a practice of slandering and back-biting others, in order to our bringing them to shame and repentance; and, most of all, when we contract an intimacy with those who are guilty of this sin, and are too easy in giving credit to what they say, though not supported by sufficient evidence; but, on the other hand, carrying in it the appearance of envy and resentment. Thus concerning the sins forbidden in this Commandment. We shall close this head by proposing some remedies against it. As,

_1st_, If the thing, reported to another’s prejudice, be true, we ought to consider, that we are not without many faults ourselves; which we would be unwilling, if others knew them, should be divulged. And if it be doubtful, we, by reporting it, may give occasion to some, to believe it to be true, without sufficient evidence, whereby our neighbour will receive real prejudice from that, which, to us, is only matter of surmize and conjecture. But if, on the other hand, what is reported be apparently false, the sin is still the greater; and the highest injustice is hereby offered to the innocent, while we, at the same time, are guilty of a known and presumptuous sin, by inventing and propagating it.

_2dly_, Such a way of exposing men answers no good end; nor is it a means of reclaiming them.

_3dly_, Hereby we lay ourselves open to the censure of others, and by endeavouring to take away our neighbour’s good name, endanger the loss of our own.

Footnote 6:

_Mendacium officiosum._

Footnote 7:

This is called _mendacium jocosum_.

Footnote 8:

This is called _mendacium pernitiosum_.

Quest. CXLVI., CXLVII., CXLVIII.

QUEST. CXLVI. _Which is the tenth Commandment?_

ANSW. The tenth Commandment is, [_Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s._]

QUEST. CXLVII. _What are the duties required in the tenth Commandment?_

ANSW. The duties required in the tenth Commandment are, such a full contentment with our own condition, and such a charitable frame of the whole soul toward our neighbour, as that all our inward motions and affections touching him tend unto and further all that good which is his.

QUEST. CXLVIII. _What are the sins forbidden in the tenth Commandment?_

ANSW. The sins forbidden in the tenth Commandment, are, discontent with our own estate; envying, and grieving at the good of our neighbours, together with all inordinate motions and affections to any thing that is his.

The general design of this commandment, is, to regulate and set bounds to our desires; and it contains a prohibition of coveting those things, that belong not to us. It is not to be split into two Commandments, as the Papists pretend; supposing that, _Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house_, is the ninth, and, _Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife_, &c. is the tenth Commandment; since these are only particular instances of the breach of the same Commandment, and the argument taken from the repetition of the words, _Thou shalt not covet_, is so very weak and inconclusive, that it would hardly have been made use of by them, had they not thought it necessary, some way or other, to make up the number ten; having as was observed, under a foregoing head, determined the second Commandment, not to be distinct from, but an appendix to the first[9]. But passing this by, we proceed to consider,

I. The duties required therein, which may be reduced to two heads;

1. Contentment with our own condition; by which we are not to understand that we are to give way to indolence or stupidity, but to exercise a composure of mind, acquiescing in the divine dispensations in every condition of life. Thus the apostle says, _I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content_, Phil. iv. 11. And this being applicable to all sorts of men, we may consider it,

(1.) As a grace that is to be exercised by those who are in prosperous circumstances in the world. Thus the apostle says, _I know how to abound_, ver. 12. and to be _full_, as well as to _suffer need_. We often find, that they who have the greatest share of the good things of this world, are so far from being satisfied with it, that their covetousness increaseth in proportion to their substance. But such ought to consider, that this is most unreasonable and ungrateful; and may justly provoke God to take away the blessing which he has given them, or add some circumstances thereunto, that will tend to embitter them; and it is a giving way to such a temper of mind as renders them really miserable in the midst of their abundance. But that which we shall principally consider, is,

(2.) How this grace of contentment is to be exercised by those who are in an afflicted state, together with the motives and inducements leading thereunto. And,

[1.] We will suppose persons under bodily weakness or pain, which tends much to embitter the comforts of life, by which means they are made uneasy; and, indeed, it is impossible, from the nature of the thing, for them not to complain, or groan under the burdens that are laid on them, as the Psalmist did, who speaks of himself as _weary of his groaning_, Psal. vi. 6. nor is it unlawful, provided they do not repine at, or find fault with, the methods of God’s providence, in his dealing with them. Nevertheless there are some things that may induce them to be contented.

_1st_, When they consider, that the body gave occasion to the first entrance of sin into the world, and bears a part with the soul in all the sins committed, and guilt contracted thereby. It is therefore no wonder, when we find that it has its share in those miseries that attend it.

_2dly_, Bodily diseases are our monitors, to put us in mind of the frailty of our present state; and therefore, since they are the harbingers of death, we are hereby forwarned, to prepare for it, as making sensible advances towards it.

_3dly_, The greatest pains that we are liable to, are far short of what Christ endured for us; in which respect our afflictions are comparatively light, and a convincing proof, that they are not certain indications of our being rejected by God, Eccl. ix. 1.

_4thly_, As God will not lay more on us than he will enable us to bear; so none of these afflictive dispensations shall have a tendency to separate the soul from Christ. Though we sometimes complain that this is a great interruption to the exercise of grace; yet this shall not be charged upon us as our fault, any otherwise than as it is the effect of that sin, which is the procuring cause of all affliction.

_5thly_, The heavier our afflictions are at present, the more sweet and comfortable the heavenly rest will be, to those who have a well-grounded hope that they shall be brought to it, Job iii. 17. 2 Thess. i. 7. 2 Cor. iv. 17.

[2.] If our condition be low and poor in the world, we are not without some inducements to be content. For,

_1st_, Poverty is not, in itself, a curse, or inconsistent with the love of God, since Christ himself submitted to it, 2 Cor. viii. 9. Matt. viii. 20. and his best saints have been exposed to it, and glorified God, more than others, under it, 2 Cor. vi. 10.

_2dly_, How poor soever we are, we have more than we brought into the world with us, or than the richest person can carry out of it, Job i. 21.

_3dly_, They who have least of the world, have more than they deserve, or than God was under any obligation to give them.

[3.] Suppose we are afflicted in our good name, and do not meet with that love and esteem from the world, which might be expected; but, on the other hand, are censured, reproached, and hated by those with whom we converse. This should not make us, beyond measure, uneasy. For,

_1st_, We have reason to conclude, that the esteem of the world is precarious and uncertain; and they who most deserve it, have oftentimes the least of it. Thus our Saviour was one day followed with the caresses of the multitude, shouting forth their hosannah’s to him; and the next day the common cry was, crucify him, crucify him. And when the apostle Paul and Barnabas, had healed the cripple at Lystra, they could, at first, hardly restrain the people from offering sacrifice to them; but afterwards they joined with the malicious Jews in stoning them, Acts xiv. 18, 19. And Paul tells the Galatians, that ‘if it had been possible, they would have plucked out their eyes, and have given them to him;’ but a little after this, he complains that he was ‘become their enemy, because he told them the truth,’ Gal. iv. 15, 16.

_2dly_, The esteem of men is no farther to be desired, than as it may render us useful to them; and if God is pleased to deny this to us, we are not to prescribe to him, what measure of respect he shall allot to us from the world, or usefulness in it.

_3dly_, Let us consider, that we know more evil abounding in our own hearts than others can charge us with. Therefore, how much soever they are guilty of injustice to us; yet this affords us a motive to contentment. Besides we have not brought that honour to God that we ought; therefore, how just is it for him to deny us that esteem from men which we desire?

[4.] Suppose we are afflicted in our relations; there are some motives to contentment. Thus if servants have masters who make their lives uncomfortable, by their unreasonable demands, or unjust severity, such ought to consider, that their faithfulness and industry will be approved of, by God, how much soever it may be disregarded, by men; and a conscientious discharge of the duties incumbent on them, in the relation in which they stand, will give them ground to expect a blessing from God, to whom they are herein said to do service, which shall not go unrewarded, Eph. vi. 7, 8.

On the other hand, if masters are afflicted, by reason of the stubborn and unfaithful behaviour, or sloth and negligence, of their servants; let them enquire, whether this be not the consequence of their not being so much concerned for their spiritual welfare as they ought, or keeping up strict religion in their families? or, whether they have not been more concerned that their servants should obey them, than their great master, which is in heaven?

Again, if parents have undutiful children, which are a grief of heart to them; let them consider, as a motive to contentment, whether they have not formerly neglected their duty to their parents, slighted their counsels, or disregarded their reproofs? so whether they have not reason to charge themselves with the iniquity of their youth? and enquire, whether God be not, herein, writing bitter things against them for it? or, whether they have not neglected to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? These considerations will fence against all repining thoughts at the providence of God, that has brought these troubles upon them. And, as a farther inducement to make them easy, let such consider, that if this does not altogether lie at their door, but, they have been faithful to their children, in praying for, and instructing them, God may hear their prayers, and set home their instructions on their hearts, when they themselves are removed out of the world.

On the other hand, if children have wicked parents, whose conversation fills them with great uneasiness; let such consider, that this has been the case of many of God’s faithful servants; such as Hezekiah, Josiah, and others; and they may be assured, that they shall have no occasion to use that proverb, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge,’ Ezek. xviii. 2.

[5.] If we are afflicted, by reason of the treachery and unfaithfulness of pretended friends, which wound us in the most tender part, Psal. lv. 12, 13. we may be induced to be content. For,

_1st_, We have no ground to expect perfection in the best of men, nor that their love and favour is immutable; neither is our conduct always such, that we do not often forfeit the respect, which we once had from others.

_2dly_, If our friends deal deceitfully with us, or are unfaithful to us, without just ground; this is not without the permission of the wise and over-ruling providence of God, who, sometimes, orders it to take us off from a dependence upon men, or expecting too much happiness from them; which is to be sought for only in himself, Isa. ii. 22.

_3dly_, This is our encouragement, when we find a change in the behaviour of friends towards us, that our chief happiness consists in the unchangeable love of God, Mal. iii. 6.

[6.] When we are afflicted in the loss of friends, or near relations; let us consider, as a motive to contentment,

_1st_, That there is no reversing or altering the decree of God, which fixes the bounds of men’s continuance in this world, Job xiv. 9.

_2dly_, All the comfort we have in friends and relations is a peculiar blessing from God; and he sometimes afflicts us in the loss of them, that he may draw off our affections from the best creature-enjoyments, and we may take up our rest intirely in himself. Moreover, we had never any reason to look on our friends as immortal, any more than ourselves; and therefore ought to say as David did when he lost his child, _I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me_, 2 Sam. xii. 23. and so far as self-love is concerned herein, we have reason to give a check to the excess thereof, by the exercise of self-denial, and say with David, _I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it_, Psal. xxxix. 8. or follow the example of Aaron, concerning whom it is said, that, when he lost two of his sons at once, by a public and awful stroke of divine justice, _he held his peace_, Lev. x. 3.

[7.] If we are afflicted by the want of success, or the many disappointments that attend us, in our lawful callings, in the world, we have reason, notwithstanding, to be content, if we consider,

_1st_, That it is the sovereign hand of God that orders our condition therein, as to what respects the success or disappointments that attend it; therefore we are not to strive against our Maker, or find fault with his will, who may do what he pleases with his own.

_2dly_, A man’s happiness does not really consist in the abundance of what he possesses, Luke xii. 15. but rather in his having a heart to use it aright; therefore we ought to say to ourselves, as God did to Baruch, _Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not_, Jer. xlv. 5.

_3dly_, The world is a scene of vanity; we have no reason to expect too much from it; and therefore ought not to be dejected at the loss of it; especially considering that such disappointments are the common lot of all sorts of men.

_4thly_, The providence of God sometimes denies us the good things of this world, that we may think it our duty and interest to lay up treasures in heaven.

[8.] Suppose we meet with afflictions, as to what relates to our spiritual concerns, as being under divine desertion, or decays of grace, or want of a sense of the love of God, or those spiritual comforts, which we once enjoyed from him; in this condition no believer can or ought to be easy, at least, stupid and unconcerned about it; but, on the other hand, he ought to be humbled for those sins which may give occasion to it, and press after the enjoyment of what he is, at present, deprived of: Nevertheless, contentment, as it is opposed to repining or quarrelling with God, is his present duty; and there are some inducements tending thereunto; as,

_1st_, A person may have the truth of grace, when he is destitute of the comfortable sense thereof.

_2dly_, There are some great and precious promises made to believers, in this condition, Isa. liv. 7, 8. Psal. cxii. 4.

_3dly_, God has wise ends in this dispensation; for hereby he brings sin to remembrance, humbles us for it, fences against presumption and confidence in our own strength, Psal. xxx. 6, 7. He also puts us upon the exercise of suitable graces, Psal. xlii. 6. and lxxvii. 6. and when he is pleased to comfort us after such afflictions, we are better furnished to comfort others in the like case.

2. The next thing required in this Commandment, is, a charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbour; so that all our inward motions and affections should lead us to promote and rejoice in his good, 1 Cor. xiii. 4-7. This charitable frame of spirit ought to be exercised,

(1.) Towards those who excel us in gifts or graces: These they receive from the hand of providence, as talents to be improved; and therefore, if they have a greater share thereof than ourselves, more is required of them in proportion thereunto, Luke xii. 48. If they excel us in grace, we ought rather to rejoice, that though we bring but little glory to God, others bring more; and it will afford us an evidence of the truth of grace, if, while we are humbled under a sense of our own defects, we are thankful for the honour that is brought to God by others, Gal. i. 23, 24. John iii. 26, 27, 28, 30.

(2.) We ought to exercise a charitable frame of spirit towards those who are in more prosperous circumstances in the world; not envying, grieving, or repining at the providence of God, because their condition therein is better than ours. We are therefore to consider, that the most flourishing and prosperous condition in the world, is not always the best, Psal. xxxvii. 16. nor is it without many temptations that often attend it, 1 Tim. vi. 9. and if it be not improved to the glory of God, this will bring a greater weight of guilt on their consciences: Whereas, on the other hand, if we enjoy communion with him, and the blessings of the upper springs, this is much more desirable than the most prosperous condition in the world, without it, Psal. xvi. 5, 6. This leads us to consider,

II. The sins forbidden in this Commandment. And these include in them, that corrupt fountain from whence the irregularity of our desires proceeds; or the streams that flow from it, which discover themselves in the lusts of concupiscence in various instances, as well as in our being discontented with our own estate.

1. As to the former of these, to wit, the corruption of nature; this must be considered as contrary to the law of God, and consequently forbidden in this Commandment. The Pelagians and Papists, indeed, pretend that the law of God only respects the corruption of our actions which is to be checked and restrained thereby; and not the internal habits or principle from whence they proceed; accordingly they take an estimate hereof from human laws, which only respect the overt acts of sin, and not those internal inclinations and dispositions which persons have to commit it: But when we speak of the divine laws, we must not take our plan from thence; for though man can only judge of outward actions, God judgeth the heart; and therefore that sin which reigns there, cannot but be, in the highest degree, offensive to him; and though the corruption of our nature cannot be altogether prevented or extirpated, by any prescription in the divine law; yet, this is the means which God takes, to reprove and humble us for it, Rom. vii. 9.

_Object._ It is objected that the apostle James, in chap. i. 15. distinguishes between lust and sin; _when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin_; therefore the corruption of nature is not properly sin; and, consequently not forbidden by the law.