him in scorn and derision." The Pharisees, Mark xv. 19. Is. lvii. 4. Mat. xxvii. 28, 29. did not only laugh, fleer, and jeer at Christ, but they gave also external signs of scorn and derision in their countenance and gestures; they blew their noses at him, they contemned him as a thing of nought. And in chap. xxiii. 35. both people and rulers blew their noses at him; for the original word is the same with that in the forementioned chapter, John xix. 12. He is accused for being an enemy to Cxsar. Now, who can seriously consider of the scorn, reproach, and contempt that hath been cast upon the name and honour of our Lord Jesus, and not sit silent and mute under all the scorn and contempt that hath been cast upon his name or person in this world?

5. To be well spoken of by them that are ill spoken of by God, to be in favour with them who are out of favour with God, is ra ther a reproach than an honour to a man*. Our Saviour himself testifieth, that, in the church and nation of the Jews, they that had the most general approbation and applause, they who were most admired and cried up, were the worst, not the best men; they were the false, not the true prophets, Luke vi. 26. "Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you: for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Austin feared the praises of good men, and detested the praises of evil men. I

The tougues of wicked men, are like the Duke of Medina Sidonia's sword, that knew no difference between a Catholic and an heretic. The lashes of lewd tongues is as impossible to avoid as necessary to contemn.

would not, saith Luther, have the glory and fame of Erasmus, my greatest fear is the praises of men. Phocion had not suspected his speech, had not the common people applauded it. Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himself for the vulgar commendations. Socrates ever suspected that which passed with the most general commendations. To be praised of evil men (Said Bion), is to be praised for evil-doing; so the better they speak of a man, the worse, and the worse the better. The Lacedæmonians would not have a good saying sullied with a wicked mouth. A wicked tongue soils all the good that drops from it it is a mercy to be delivered from the praises of wicked men; wicked mens applauses oftentimes become the saints reproaches. The Heathen could say, What evil have I done, that this bad man commends me? There is a truth in that saying of Seneca, The worst men are commonly most displeased with that which is best. Who can seriously dwell on these things, and not be mute and silent under all the reproaches and scorn that are cast upon his name and credit in this world?

6. There will come a day when the Lord will wipe off all the dust and reproach that wicked men have cast upon the good names of his people; there shall be a resurrection of names, as well as of bodies; their names that are now buried in the open sepulchres of evil throats, shall surely rise again; their innocency shall shine forth as the light, and their righteous

ness as the noon-day, Psal. xxxvii. 6. Though the clouds may for a time obscure the shining forth of the sun, yet the sun will shine forth again as bright and glorious as ever. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Though the malicious slanders, and false accusations of wicked men, may for a time cloud the names of the saints, yet those clouds shall vanish, and their names shall appear transparent and glorious. God will take that care of his people's good name that the infamy, calumnies, and contumelies, that are cast upon it, shall not long remain. The Jews rolled a stone upon Christ to keep him down, that he might not rise again; but an angel quickly rolls away the stone, and, in despite of his keepers, he rises in a glorious triumphant manner: so though the world may roll this stone and that of reproach and contempt upon the saints good names, yet God will roll away all those stones, and their names shall have a glorious resurrection, in despite of men and devils; that God that hath always one hand to wipe away his childrens tears from their eyes, that God hath always another hand to wipe off the dust that lies upon his childrens names: wronged innocency shall not long lie under a cloud; dirt will not stick. long upon marble, nor statues of gold. Well, Christians, remember this, the slanders and reproaches that are cast upon you, they are but badges of your innocency and glory, Job xxxi. 35. 36. "If mine adversary shoul write a book against me; surely I would

it upori my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me." All reproaches are pearls added to a Christian's crown. Hence Austin, He that willingly takes from my good name, unwillingly adds to my reward; and this Moses knew well enough, which made him prefer Christ's reproach before Pharaoh's crown: that God that knows all his children by name, will not suffer their names to be long buried under the ashes of reproach and scorn; and therefore hold thy peace: the more the foot of pride and scorn tramples upon thy name for the present, the more splendent and radiant it will be. As the more men trample upon a figure graven in gold, the more lustrous they make it; therefore lay thy hand upon thy mouth. But,

7. The Lord hath been a swift and a terrible witness against such that have falsely accused his children, Isa. xli. 11. and that have loaded their names with scorn, reproach, and contempt. Ahab and Jezebel, that suborned false witnesses against Naboth, 1 Kings xxii. 21. 22. had their blood licked up by dogs, 2 Kings ix. Amaziah who falsely accused the prophet Amos to the king, met with this message from the Lord, Amos vii. 17. "Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, thy sons and daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; thou shalt die in a polluted land." Haman, who falsely accused the Jews, Esther vii. 10. and chap. ix. 10. was one day feasted with the king, and the next day made a feast for crows. The en

vious courtiers who falsely accused Daniel, Dan. vi. 24. were devoured of lions. Let me give you a view of the judgments of God upon such persons out of histories.

Caiaphas the high priest, who gathered the council, and suborned false witnesses against the Lord Jesus, was shortly after put out of office; and one Jonathan substituted in his room, whereupon he killed himself. John Cooper a godly man, being falsely accused in Queen Mary's days, by one Grimwood, shortly after the said Grimwood being in perfect health, his bowels suddenly fell out of his bo dy, and so he died miserably.

Narcissus, a godly bishop of Jerusalem, was falsely accused by three men of many foul matters, who sealed up with oaths and imprecations their false testimonies; but shortly after that, one of them, with his whole family and substance, was burnt with fire; another of them was stricken with a grievous disease such as in his imprecation he had wished to himself; the third, terrified with the sight of God's judgments upon the former, became very penitent, and poured out the grief of his heart in such abundance of tears, that thereby he became blind.

A wicked wretch, under Commodus the Emperor, accused Apollonius, a godly Christian, to the judges, for certain grievous crimes; which when he could not prove, he was adjudged to have his legs broken, according to an ancient law of the Romans.

Gregory Bradway falsely accused o