Defence & Offence
Defence & Offence
43. A man ought not to commend himself, but in some special cases, first, because pride and envy in others will not endure it; secondly, it touches upon God's glory and therefore we should take heed; thirdly, it deprives us of comfort and hinders the apology of others. The heathens could say that the praising a man's self is very disagreeable. Let us take heed therefore that we do not snatch our right out of God's hand. But now on the contrary, in some cases we may praise and commend ourselves, as when we have a just call to make an apology in a way of defense, and for the conviction of them that unjustly speak evil of us. Secondly, we may speak well of ourselves in a way of example to others, such as parents to children, and this well becomes them, because it is not ours of pride or vainglory, for the motive is discovered to be love to them.
44. It is the duty of those that are God's children when they have just occasion to take the defense of others upon them. Thus did the blind man (John 9:30), he defended Christ against the Pharisees, and Jonathan spoke to his father in behalf of David, though he was called a rebel, yet he knew that he owed this unto the truth. God has a cause in the world that must be owned, and therefore when the cause of religion is brought upon the stage, God seems to say as Jehu did, "Who is on my side," Who? God commends His cause and His children to us. "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty" (Judges 5:23). So a curse lies upon those that when the truth suffers have not even a word to defend it.
45. When Joshua cursed the man that should build the walls of Jericho, he was not in any commotion or fury but in a peaceable temper. So when cursing comes from such a one, he is only a declaratory instrument and the conveyer of God's curse. Therefore every man must not take it upon him, for men often curse when they should bless, which is an arrow shot upright that falls down upon their own heads, but those that come in the Name of the Lord and are qualified for that purpose, their curses or blessings are to be regarded, for they are a means oftentimes to convey God's blessing or His curse.