Obedient patience in general, and in XX particular cases with helps to obtain and use it, and impatience repressed : cross-bearers less to be pityed that cross-makers / written for his own use under the cross, imposed by God and man, and published as now seasonable ... by Richard Baxter.

CASE IX.

False accusation, defamations; duty made odious crimes; reputation ruined.

IX. ANother Case that needeth Pati∣ence is, False accusation, defama∣tion, and taking away our good name; when innocent Men are Proclaimed to be guilty of odious Crimes, which they detest far 〈◊〉〈◊〉

than their accusers do: Yea when the most Conscionable Men, that most fear all sin, are defamed by their Teachers themselves, as well as by the brutish Rabble, to be the worst Men in the Land, unfit for human converse, or to be Members of any Society, and un∣worthy to live, at least out of Goals. Sin is so much worse than Poverty, or any bodily suffering, that the imputation of it unjustly seemeth a greater tryal, than to be taken for a Beggar, or Leper. But the great tryal is, when Godly Magi∣strates or Ministers of Christ are taken for Rogues, Traytors, Schismaticks, un∣conscionable villaines, by which their endeavours for the Souls of Men are ren∣dered useless; And worst of all, when a Malignant generation shall make the ge∣nerality of Men fearing God, and living Religiously, to be taken for the most wicked dangerous Hypocrites in the land. By this young and unexperien∣ced persons, and the ignorant Multitude, are brought to a contempt or hatred of serious practical Religion, and made the Enemies of their best friends, and of the means of their own Salvation.

1. In this sad case, we must not on pretence of patience, and contempt of

honour, be insensible of the snares that are laid by Satan to deceive the multi∣tude, and undo Souls; nor of the hey∣nous wrong thats done to Christ, and the Christian Religion and Name: Yea this horrid Crime when it is common, doth so much threaten the destruction of a Land, and the removal of the Gospel, that it should make us all mourn and ear∣nestly pray, that God would not leave so bad a people, that say, Depart from us, we would not the knowledge of thy waies. What wonder if Christ give up that Land to darkness and deceit, and Satan, and take away his Gospel, when the practice of it is made a common scorn, and taken for an intollerable evil. When Gods peculiar peeople were deli∣vered into Captivity, the reason is given 2 Chron. 36. 14. All the Chief of the Priests and the people transgressed very much, and the Lord sent his Messenger, because he had compassion on his people, and his dwelling places? But they mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets, till the Wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no remedy Jer. 5. 5. I will get me to the great Men, and speak to them; for they have

known the way of the Lord. But these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds: Thefore a Lyon shall slay them, &c.

When Christ and his Apostles were taken for intollerable, God would tol∣lerate the Nation no longer, but gave them up to the cruellest destruction that hath been heard of in the world, and the remnants of them are scattered, cursed people in all Countries to this day. When they cryed of such as Paul, Away with such a fellow from the Earth, it is not fit that he should live; God concluded, Away with such a wicked Nation, scatter them as cursed over the Earth. They that will themselves escape the destruction in such a Land, must mourn and cry for all its abominations, Ezek 9. 4. And must grieve for the reproach of the Solemn Assemblies, Zeph. 3. 18. And a Noah, Daniel, or Job in it, may save none but their own Souls.

But yet as our Reputation is but our own personal interest, whether we are defamed for the Common cause of Con∣science and obedience to God, or whe∣ther it be by any private malicious slander against our selves, we may bear it patient∣ly.

For, 1. What is our Reputation, but the thoughts and words of Men con∣cerning us? And how small a matter is this as to our selves? If they think well of you, you are never the better, and if they think ill of you, you are never the worse. If you be poor, or sick, or pained, will it ease you or make you Rich, for Men to think and say that you are well or Rich? And if you be rich and well, will it make you poor or sick for Men to think or say that you are so? And as the thoughts of Men alter not your state, so what is Man that his thoughts should be so much regarded by you. Thoughts are such unseen transitory actings of the mind, that we have much a do to make Men believe that there is any Law for them, or any great sin in them, or that God himself regardeth them. And when a Man is asleep, or thinks of other things, those thoughts are all laid by; and he must quickly die, and lie in darkness, and then what are his thoughts; or what is it to you what that rotten Carkass lately thought of you when it lived?

2. The usual cause of Impatience under personal disgrace and slander, is Pride in our selves, which is matter of a

thousand fold more hurt and grief, than the loss of our Reputation is. Pride is an over∣valuing our Reputations or honour with Men. A desire to be better thought of then we deserve, as to Greatness, Wisdom or Goodness, or else an over-great esteem and desire of that Reputation, which is indeed our due, did you not over-value it, you could easilyer spare it, and bear the loss of it. Oh fear Devillish sin of Pride a thousand fold more than any dishonour. A truly humbled Soul can easily bear the thoughts and words of Men, as to its own interest: For he know∣eth his own failings, and liveth not on Man.

3. If you will not be Hypocrites let there be some proportion between your Confessions to God, and your sense of the accusations and reproaches of Men. In Prayer you study enlarged Confes∣sions, and how much evil do you (truly) say of your selves: And if another should wrongfully add somewhat more, me thinks you might endure it: Is it not an incon∣gruous thing to hear one in Prayer an hour together on a day of humiliation ac∣cuse himself to God of the breach of e∣very one of the Ten Commandements;

or for troubled fearful persons, in all their discourse with Ministers or friends, to accuse themselves as utterly graceless, and resist all that can be said to the contrary; and yet for the same persons to be disquieted, and impatient, if ano∣ther accuse them over-much, yea or less than they accuse themselves? There is some Hypocrisie in this.

4. Praise is a more dangerous thing to us than dispraise: and therefore our friends usually hurt us more than our E∣nemies. Flattery is pleasing to nature, and dispraise displeasing: But it is Pleas∣ing things only that are overloved; and things overloved that undo the Soul. Praise is the usual fuel of Pride, and Pride the ready way to ruine: But dispraise calleth us to examine and Judge our selves, and is a help to Humiliation. And tho praise be due to all that is good, and other Men owe it to wise and good Men; yet the wisest and best are so apt to be tickled and pleased with it, that they seldom escape some degree of proud in∣fection by it.

5. It is Gods Judgment to which we stand or fall: If he call us his Children it is a small matter what Men call us:

If he justifieth us, who is he that shall condemn us: As Paul saith, It is a small matter to me to be Judged of Man, or at Mans bar or day; I have one that Judg∣eth me, even the Lord. 1 Cor. 4. 3. What Man can make a great matter, what Men think or say of him, who believeth that he must live or die for ever, as God shall Judge him, and not as Men Judge him.

6. The thoughts and words of Men, do not so much as touch our skin: If they be let in to our hearts, and made our pain, it is not they but our selves that do it.

7. What kind of Men be they that slander, reproach and scorn Men for their duty to God or Man? Is it not miserable fools. led blindfold towards Hell in Satans Chaines? And are we not happy and safe in Christs Justification? And will a Lord or Prince be cast down if a Bedlam shall revile him, or because a Child of seven years old thinks meanly of him? How easily do Learned Men bear the contempt of the unlearned, and Great Men bear the obloquy of Beggers? It is not wise or Godly Men that disho∣nour you for being wise and Godly, but

but only the ignorant and ungodly that speak against that which they never knew.

8. If it be for your obedience to God, the reproach is more against him than you: It was he and not you that made the Law which you obey. He that ac∣cuseth any one for obeying his Father, Master or Prince, doth most accuse them that Commanded him. If it be a fault and dishonour to mind Heaven above Earth, and to obey God and his word, before Man, it is long of God that so Commanded us, and not of us: And if they accuse God, be sure he is sufficient to confute them, and to defend himself; he will stop the mouths of all Blasphemers, and you may boldly trust him if you suffer for him, and your cause be his. A bark∣ing Dog may sooner stop the course of the Sun, than a Blasphemer conquer God.

9. Yea, it is one of the greatest Honours in the World to be dishonoured for God. You are deeplyest engaged for his cause, and he for you: You are principal Soldi∣ers in his Army; for suffering is the Victory of the Soldiers of Christ. If Gods Name, and cause, and interest and promise cannot put Honour on your, nothing can.

10. The reproacher more dshonour∣eth himself than you: It is a dishonour indeed to be a false accuser and slander∣er, but none to be a patient sufferer.

11. And tho we be not guilty of that which malicious Lyars accuse us, we are guilty of many other sins, which God may correct us for by their tongues.

12. Christ went before us in this kind of suffering. He made himself of no Re∣putation, but endured the Cross, despising the shame; He endured the contradiction of sinners against himself, Heb. 12. 2. &c. He that came into the World to destroy the works of the Devil, and to save Men from sin, was said to be a sinner and to have a Devil, and to do his Miracles by the Devils help: They accused him to be a Glutton and a Wine-bibber, and a Sabbath-breaker, and a Familiar with Publicans and Sinners, and a despiser of Traditions, and Ceremonies, and Church Government, and an Usurper, and a Traytor against Caesar, and a Blasphemer against God; and that it might be believ∣ed, Crucified him as such between Male∣factors, as worse than Barabbas, a Mur∣derer, and fastened his Accusation on his Cross, and to this day they call him a de∣ceiver.

And his Apostles were accord∣ingly accused; Paul was called a Pestilent fellow, a mover of Sedition, that taught Men against Caesar and the Law, and turned the World upside down, not wor∣thy to live upon the Earth. The Apostles were made a gazing stock, the scorn of Men, the filth and off scouring of all things. And did we not resolve to fol∣low Christ and them, and to bear this Cross.

13. But O what a joyful support to us should it be, to foresee by faith the approaching day, when all this will be set right, and Godliness will be a dishon∣our no more; when Christ will come to be glorifiyed in his Saints, and admired in all them that now believe? 2 Thes. 1. 10, 11. And when these accusers and slanders will all be silenced, confuted and confounded: And sin will be an everlasting shame. O what a change will that day make: Then who will have the Honour and Glory, and who will be cast out as the dung?

Object. But odious lies are divulged, Printed, and believed of me, and strangers and posterity will not know but all is true.

Answ. And what if it be so? It touch∣eth you not now; and neither your bo∣dy in the grave will feel it, nor your Soul in Heaven. Be patient Bretheren to the coming of our Lord, Jam. 5. Lies and false History are the Devils way by which he deceiveth most of the World: Its little thought by the Readers how much History is false. Turks and Hea∣thens think odiously of Christians; and Papists of Protestants, and by Multitudes of lies cherish hatred and blood guilti∣ness in their followers. Pity the lyers, alas it is they that are the sufferers, that by this are hardened in Mortal sin. O what a blessed day is a•• hand, when all these slanderers will change their tuue, and God will openly Justifie his Ser∣vants.

And in the mean time the wicked will believe the Father of Lies, and we can∣not help it: But the faithful honour, up∣right Men not the less, but the more for calumnies which they endure, and had they not been prone to over honour them, holy daies and Relicts had not been used as they are.

Let it be your care to give the lyers no occasion by your sin; and then mourn

for the success of Satan, but joyfully wait for the Judgment of God.