Page:Cry to the whole earth; a sermon preached by the Reverend Mr. John Welch.pdf/11

 and diet, they will ſay he hath a devil:  Paul anſwer diſcreetly for himſelf, he ſhall be  to be mad with over-much learning; yes  our Saviour Chriſt himſelf frequent the  of ſinners, to welcome them from ſin, they will  ſtand to call him a friend and companion of  and ſinners, Luke vii. 34. Amongſt us,  there be any that be more forward in  than others be, or more diligent to hear the  as Mary was, they ſhall not want ſome one or  to cenſure them at their pleaſure, yea, to find, and alſo condemn them for ſo doing. Yet not the godly herewith to be diſcouraged, or to  from their godly exerciſe the more of that;  as the Lord anſwered for Mary when ſhe held  peace herſelf, ſo the Lord will defend their, and take their part againſt their adverſaries;  the godly be ſufferers of their injury. The cannot abide to hear his ſervants evil ſpoken, but is always ready to maintain their right, and  anſwer for them: He will not ſuffer Laban to  one ill word to his ſervant Jacob, Gen xxxi. 4. And if Aaron and Miriam murmur againſt Moſes, Numb. xii. the Lord will puniſh it with proſy. What a comfortable thing is it to be god-, and to the godly, that the King of kings will their parts, and will not ſuffer them to ſuſtain  wrong. He is a moſt ſure and truſty friend, will not abide his friend to be backbitten or  ſpoken of, but either he will anſwer in their, or he will find ſome means to ſtop their  and reſtrain the ſlanderous tongues of  enemies: As ſometimes he ſtopped Balaam's ffage when he went to curſe his people, and  the dumb aſs to ſpeak, Numb xxii. and the madneſs of the prophet, rather than he  have his people to be curſed; 2 Pet. ii. 15.