Chapter 15. The Tenth Royal Privilege is—the vindication of our Reputations.
fathers—that the angels are of that invincible sanctity, that they cannot be drawn by any violence to sin. 2. That it should be possible for the angels to be stained with the least tincture of sin—is repugnant to scripture; for if the angels may sin, then they may fall— but they cannot fall. The minor proposition is clear: elected angels cannot fall—but the angels are elected; the apostle proves the election of angels. 1 Tim. 5:21, "I charge you before God and the elect angels."
The angels are called stars, Job. 38:7. These angelical stars are so fixed in their orb of sanctity, that they cannot have the least erring, or retrograde motion to sin. Does not all this set forth the privilege and comfort of believers? They shall be in this sense as the angels—in an impossibility of sinning! Here on earth, it is impossible that we should not sin; in heaven it is impossible that we should sin! There we shall not only be exempted from the act of sinning—but from the capacity of sinning—for we shall be as the angels of God! What a blessed privilege is this! We who are now accounted as the off-scouring of men—shall be as the angels!
Oh how may this excite the most profane people to the study of piety!
Fly from sin! Sin will not make you angels—but devils! "Follow after holiness!" The huntsmen pursues the deer with earnestness. Pursue holiness as the huntsman pursues his game! Here is reason enough— you shall not only be with the angels—but you shall be like the angels! If while you live, you live as saints—when you die, you shall be as angels!
Chapter 15.
The Tenth Royal Privilege is—the Vindication of our Reputations.
Fulgentius calls a good name the godly man's heir, because it lives when he is dead. A good reputation is the best temporal blessing—yet all do not wear this garland. Those who have a good conscience, have not always a good name. The old serpent spits his venom at the godly
—through the mouths of wicked men! If Satan cannot strike his fiery dart into our conscience—he will put a dead fly into our reputation.
The people of God are represented to the world, in a very bad light.
How strangely does a saint look—when he is put in the Devil's dress!
Some primitive Christians that were clothed with bear's skins, and painted with red devils. Job was represented to the world as a hypocrite—and by his friends too—which was very painful to him.
Paul was called a seditious man. He suffered (in the opinion of some) as an evildoer, 2 Tim. 2:9. "Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds." He did not only bear Christ's mark in his body— but in his name. Our blessed Savior was called a glutton and a drunkard, and a deceiver of the people. It has always been the manner of the wicked world—to paint God's children in very strange colors.
It is a great sin to defame a saint, it is murder; better take away his life than his name! It is a sin which we can never make him reparation for; a flaw in a man's credit being like a blot in white paper, which will never come out. The defaming of a saint is no less than the defaming of God himself! The saints have God's picture drawn in their hearts: a man cannot abuse the picture of Caesar, without some reflection upon Caesar's person. Well, either God will clear his peoples' innocency here, which he has promised, Psalm
37:6, "And he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light." Your good name may be in a cloud—but it shall not set in a cloud; or else God will clear his peoples' innocency at the day of judgment.
In this life the godly are called the troublers of Israel, seditious, rebellious and what not! but a day is shortly coming, when God himself will proclaim their innocency. Believe it, as God will make inquisition for blood, so also for names! The name