The surest way to the greatest honour

2.God causeth them that honour Him to be honoured, in respect of the Esteem and Reputation which they have in the world. He giveth them a great room and interest in the hearts of them whose esteem or good word is to be valued. Indeed, if a man will be Zealous for God, and faithful to his interest, there are wicked men that will reproach and revile him. David found it so. They that sat in the gate; some that had been in power, spake against him, and he was the song of the Drunkards. Psal. 69. 12. Lew• debauched persons who were for King Sauls Interest, would make Lampoone• against David, and when they ⟨p. 24⟩were over their Cups they would sing them: but the reproaches and mockings of such men are an honour, and to be worn as a Crown. It is an honour and an happiness to be reviled and slandered by such vile persons. Matth. 5. ••. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and shall say all manner of Evil of you falsely for my sake, rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward, for so persecuted they the prophets. If it is for Christs sake, for our appearing in his cause or to maintain his Truth and Interest that we are reproached and slandered, we may wear those reproaches as our Crown for they are a part of our blessedness: Usually they that have honoured God most, have the honour to be most reproached by the wickedest men in the world. Who honoured God more than the Prophets and Apostles in their day? And who were ever more reviled? So the chief Reformers in the last Century. Luther and Calvin especially, no men were reproached more than they that had deserved better usage from the age wherein they lived. It is not a desirable thing for a man to be Cried up by the generality of wicked men. Luk. 6. 26. We unto you when all men shall speak well of you: for so their Fathers did by the false Prophets. All the profane men in the Land would be ready to speak well of the false Prophets, because they would daub their Consciences with untempered Mortar. They ⟨p. 25⟩