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A CRY TO THE WHOLE EARTH. more of that, for, as the Lord anſwered for Mary when ſhe held her peace herſelf, ſo the Lord will defend their cauſe, and take their part againſt their adverſaries; howbeit the godly be ſufferers of the injury. The Lord cannot abide to hear his ſervants evil ſpoken of but is always ready to maintain their right, and to anſwer for them : He will not ſuffer Laban to ſpeak one evil word to his ſervant Jacob, Gen. xxxi. 24. And if Aaron and Miriam murmur againſt Moſes. Numb. xii the Lord will puniſh it with leproſy. What a comfortable thing is it to be godly, and to the godly that the King of kings will take their part, and will not ſuffer them to ſuſtain any wrong. He is a moſt pure and truſty friend, that will not abide his friend to be backbitten or evil ſpoken of, but either he will anſwer in their defence, or he will find ſome means to ſtop their mouths, and reſtrain the ſlanderous tongues of their enemies: As ſometimes he ſtopped Balaam's paſſage when he went to curſe his people, and cauſed the dumb aſs to ſpeak, Numb. xxii. and reproved the madneſs of the prophet, rather than he would have his people to be curſed, 2 Pet. ii. 15.

The reputation of Martha's name, argueth the vehemency and earneſtneſs of this admoniſion, The Lord, he is ſain to be earneſt, and importunate with us, before he can reclaim us. So when God ſpake to Abraham, he calls him twice by name, Gen. xxii. Chriſt called Peter thrice by name, John xxi to cauſe him make his threefold confeſſion, for ſatisfaction of his threefold denial: and when the Lord ſpake unto Samuel, he called him ſeveral times by name, I Sam, iii. before he anſwered. For ſuch is the