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A90810 A sermon preached before the religious societies in St. Michael's Church Dublin. September the 25th. 1698. / by Thomas Pollard ... Pollard, Thomas. 1698 (1698) Wing P2777; ESTC R181919 10,628 20

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A SERMON Preached before the RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES IN St. MICHAEL's CHURCH DUBLIN September the 25th 1698. By Thomas Pollard Minister of St. Peter's Dublin DUBLIN Printed by and for Joseph Ray Bookseller in Skinner-row over against the Tholsel MDCXCVIII TO THE Religious Societies IN DUBLIN BRETHREN THô I was ready at your Request to Preach this Sermon yet I must confess I was not so willing to make it Publick as conscious to my self how much so great and useful a Subject must suffer through the Weakness of the Manager But when your desires came back't with his Grace's Commands it was no longer fit for me to dispute the matter I am very sensible that besides the Exceptions that may be justly taken against the Imperfections of this Discourse many Objections will be rais'd against the Argument it self which is likely to find the same ill Usage for Encouraging that you have allready met with for Endeavouring a Reformation But if the Publishing this Sermon may prove either useful to You or Beneficial to others I shall very little Regard the Censures of ill Men who as they are Enemies to Virtue so they will be sure to be to all that shall abett it To Direct and Encourage the Good Work you have so successfully begun viz. The beating down the Body of Sin and putting some stop to that I orrent of open Lewdness and Prophaneness which for some time past has been breaking in upon us was the great design of this Discourse and if it may Influence and Inspirit any of us in so Generous an Undertaking I shall think my Time and my Labour well laid out And that GOD's Blessing may allways accompany your Endeavours and mine in this Charitable Attempt is the hearty Prayer of You Affectionate humble Servant Thomas Pollard A SERMON Preach'd before the Societies in St. Michael's Church Dublin September the 25th 1698. The 19th of Leviticus in the latter part of the 17th verse Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him The whole Verse runs thus Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him THese words recommend a duty as difficult to the Performer as unwelcom to the Receiver and that is Brotherly Admonition and Reproof for whosoever shall attempt it tho' in the greatest kindness to Mens Souls is in danger not only of being accounted but of being treated as their Enemy because he tells them the truth 'T was a work difficult enough for a Prophet and we find God himself intimating as if there were but few qualified for so generous an undertaking Isaiah 6.8 And I heard the Voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who will go for Us Implying that it was no easie matter to find a well qualified and willing Person and tho' the Prophet Isaiah was prepared and ready at that time to undertake the Imployment yet we find the Prophet Jeremiah something backward bewailing himself and complaining of the hardship of the Duty Saying Wo is me my Mother that thou hast born me a Man of strife and a Man of Contention to the whole Earth Jer. 15.10 And therefore to arm him against all dangers and difficulty of the undertaking God does not only chear him up but threaten him too Thou therefore gird up thy Loins i. e. rouze up thy Spirits and thy Courage and arise speak to them all that I commanded thee be not dismayed at their Faces lest I Confound thee before them Jer. 1st 17. And whether they would hear or whether they would forbear God oblig'd him to discharge this necessary tho' unwelcome office towards them And with the same caution God arms Ezekiel upon the like occasion And thou son of man be not afraid of their words tho' Briers and Thorns be with thee i. e. tho' this people be as Briers and Thorns which shall prick and wound thy Soul And tho' thou dost dwell among Scorpions be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks Ezek. 2.6 And if a Commission'd Prophet was to expect such Treatment when he was sent by God to rebuke a wicked Nation how much rougher usage must a private Person look for when he undertakes to Reprove a wicked and licentious People and to reform those Vices which by a long and general Practice and Indulgence are not only grown fashionable but have gotten Credit and Power in the World insomuch that he that dares attempt a Reformation must look for nothing less than to be torn with Briers and Thorns and to be the object of all the Venom that the Tongues of these wicked Scorpions can spit against him but God that knew the danger does not excuse from the duty but lays his commands peremptorily thus Thou shalt in any wise Rebuke thy Neighbour c. And tho' this Precept was given under the Law yet it is of that Moral Obligation that it is not superseded but rather reinforced by the Gospel Dispensation I shall not at present confine these words as some understand them in Relation only to the former part of the Verse Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart i. e. Thou shalt not bear any private Malice or Grudge against him and smother it in thy breast as Absolom did against his Brother Amnon for the Text says He spake unto him neither good nor bad and gives this as the reason For Absolom hated Amnon 2 Sam. 13.22 But thou shalt make known the cause of the Difference and Displeasure and shalt in any wise plainly rebuke him for it Tho' this be an excellent duty and may prove the prevention of many great and grievous Evils yet I shall at this time treat of these words in a greater Latitude even as they respect Sin in general and not only some trespass committed against our selves And in handling of them in this larger sense I shall follow this method 1. I will endeavour to make it appear that it is the Duty of a private Christian as much as in him lies to Reprove and Reform Sin in his Neighbour 2. I shall shew you the manner how this duty is to be perform'd 3. The Motives and Reasons that may encourage him in so difficult a performance 1. I shall endeavour to make it appear that it is the duty of a private Christian as much as in him lies to Reprove and Reform Sin in his Neighbour To prevent Sin and destroy the works of the Devil is so Noble and generous a design that for the accomplishment thereof our Blessed Saviour thought it worth while to leave all the Glorious Mansions of Heaven to descend into a wicked World and to submit himself to the most barbarous Treatment it could give him and his great business here was to save his People from their Sins that they being deliver'd from their Spiritual Enemies might become a peculiar People zealous of good works and might serve God without fear in Holiness