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while you profefs obedience to the Lord? and why do you take on you to believe a heaven and bell hereafter, and to give up your felves in Covenant to God, and live fo contrary to that profeft belief and Covenant ?

Quest. 7. Do you not feel that it is partly malice, and partly the recriminations of a guilty galled confcience, that fain would fteal a little peace by thinking others to be as bad as you?

I fhall difmifs this unhappy fort of men with these two requests. 1. You are the men that of all others have the most notable advantage for your conviction, of the mifery of your prefent state: and therefore I beseech you take that advantage. One would think it fhould be the eafieft matter in the world, for fuch as you to know that you are ungodly, that hate godliness and oppofe it? you have

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no plaufible pretence for self-flattery or felf-deceit. And therefore confefs your misery, and look out to Chrift, for help and pardon, while there is hope and time.

2. For the time to come, will you but try a serious holy life before you speak against it any more? For fhame fpeak not evil of the things you know not, as thofe bruits defcribed, fud. 10. And holinefs was never well known but by experience. O that you would be intreated but to yeild to this most equal motion. Away with your worldly fleshly lives; and live infaith and holiness, a juft, a fpiritual and heavenly life, but one year, or one quarter, or one moneth, and then if by experience you find just caufe for it, reproach a holy life, and spare not.

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IL O the fecond fort, (that fpeak evil of men upon differences of opinion, especially while they profefs the fame Religion, in all the effential neceffary parts,) I fhall propose these aggravations of their fin, for their humiliation.

1. Confider, can you think it agreeable to the Law of Chrift, to reproach men behind their backs, and unheard, for that which you never foberly and Chriftianly told them of to their faces? Did you lovingly firft admonish them, and impartially hear what they can fay for themfelves? what is your end in speaking against your brother? Is it to do him burt, or good? If hurt, be fure you do him Justice; and backbiting is not the way of Justice. If good, you cross your own intention. For what good

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can it do him, that another hears him evil spoken of ?

2. If you are Chrifts Difciples, it must be known to all men by your Special love to one another, Joh. 13. 35. And is reproach and evilfpeaking the fruit or evidence of fuch love? can you talk fo of the friends that are moft dear to you, or that you love indeed? how do our hearts rife againft that man, that speaks reproachfully of our dearest friends? Love would fcarce fuffer you to endure fuch abufe of Chriftians in another, without a ferious reprehenfion much lefs to be the abufer of them your felves.

3. Your evil fpeaking of your brethren deftroyeth love in others, as it proves the want of it in your felves. And to deftroy their love,is to destroy their fouls. You do your worit to quench the love, both of him that you speak evil of, and of K 4 them

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them to whom you fpeak it. Good is the object of love: and therefore to fpeak of men, and manifeft them to be lovely, is the only way to make them loved. object of hatred: and therefore to speak evil of them, is to make them seem hateful, and draw men to the guilt of hating them. To praife a man will do more to make him loved, then if you only intreat another to love him. And to difpraife a man will do more to make him hated, then if you directly perfwade another to hate him. And what fervice you do the Devil, and what differvice unto Chrift, by deftroying love and fowing hatred among his fervants, were you impartial, you might easily difcern.

4. Is it not fhame and pitty, that the followers of Chrift fhould imitate the Devil, and ungodly men, as by detraction and reviling

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