the detraction from another mans reputation is an addition to their own but Christ here tells them the contrary Use Caution against rash judgement Beware we neither lessen things well done or well spoken nor interpret doubtfull things in the worse part nor aggravate light infirmities nor be ready to receive scattered reproaches Obj. But is all judging here condemned Answ No to judge a tree by the fruits is lawfull It 's not the minde of Christ that his Disciples should be blinde towards the evils of others and not to censure and punish them but that we bridle the corruption of our hearts which is much inclining to rash judgement Our hearts are like crooked rules that are ready to pervert straight things Neither is credulity here commended such as was in Jacob who erred in too much charity thinking the wild beasts had devoured Joseph when his sons onely shewed him a blooded Coat which Joseph wore Neither the judging in Churches 1 Cor. 5.4 5 12. or in Commonwealths 2 Chron. 19.6 is forbid Neither the judging of private persons betwixt brethren 1 Cor. 6.5 is forbid But that judging is here condemned which arises 1 From pride and domination Jam. 3.1 2 From spleen discontent envy passion and hatred whence mens narrow inspection ariseth 3 From hypocrisie when men endeavour to cover their own vicious practises by judging others so the Pharisee Luke 18.12 13. 4 To judge finally of any mans reprobation having not committed the sin against the Holy Ghost 5 To be Lord and Law-giver to and of another mans conscience Jam. 4.12 13. There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judgest another thus the strong and weak did Rom. 14.3 4. Thou art onely a fellow servant therefore not a judge 6 That judging which is used to get an opinion of holiness Obj. But we finde even godly men and professors to judge others Answ It 's possible even for godly men to judge amiss as Abraham Gen. 20.10 11. and Eli 1 Sam. 1.14 and to insult too much over unregenerate men but usually either 1 They judge themselves or 2 To preserve themselves from being accessary to other mens sins by a secret invisible allowance of them 3 Lest Knaves should go for honest men 4 When men merely civil or formal or such as live in some sin are cried up by some time-serving flatterer for good men here a godly man may pass his judgement of this wicked man lest ignorant persons hearing him so commended might gather such a dangerous principle viz. That a man may be a good man and yet live in some way of wickedness That silence is no less sinfull which suffers a profane man to carry away the repute of a godly man then that silence which suffers a godly man to be charged with hypocrisie provided there be time and place for a wise and charitable contradiction V. 2. For with what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again The second reason why we must not rashly judge others because God by his providence will afford us the like V. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye and considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye Here 's a third reason against rash judging taken from the adjunct Such persons have beams or gross sins in themselves who are prone to censure motes or infirmities in others Self love blindes many that they cannot see gross sins in themselves but can see supposed sins in others V. 4. Or how wilt thou say to thy brother Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye A fourth reason taken from unprofitableness and dishonesty such judgings do not tend to the amending but to the hardening of the sinner He that will judg others had need examine himself Quest Whether may not a Judg condemn those sins in another which he knows himself to have committed or at present knows he liveth in Answ Yes because every Judg is bound to judg according to Law where evils are prosecuted and witnessed in any outward Court of men but not where they are prosecuted and witnessed in the inner Court of conscience for that Court onely belongs to God and though the Apostle Rom. 2.1 say that such men are inexcusable who judg others for those things themselves do it 's meant onely in the Court of conscience or the Court of Heaven not in the Courts of men which looks upon all men as innocent against whom there is no witness of guilt Besides how wilt thou say to thy Brother that is with what face upon what ground of conscience or honesty wilt thou say Let me pull out thy Mote when thou hast the Beam of a reigning sin in thee Luke 13.14 15. Obs All sins are not equal some are reigning sins some are sins of infirmity 2 Many persons though guilty of great sins yet are not sensible of them some have beams yet see it not 3 Men that would reform small sins in others must first reform great sins in themselves V 5. Thou Hypocrite first cast out the Beam out of thine own Eye and then thou shalt clearly see to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers Eye The words are an Answer to an Objection It seems then I need not care how my Brother lives whether well or ill Answ Yes thou must Hence Christ adds v. 5. that we should perform towards them the duty of admonition See Levit. 19.17 But Hypocrites upon pretence of admonition sometimes exercise a masterly power of judging contrary to the Rule of Charity which requires with all tenderness that we inquire into and deal with the weaknesses of our Brethren with a desire of healing of them but this cannot he do who hath greater faults of his own Thy Brother whom thou reproves cannot learn a better amendment by thee than that he sees in thee Reproof is so to be ordered that not onely the faults of our Brother be blamed but that reproof may attain the true end thereof to wit the amendment of the sinner which will be brought about the better when thy life reproves him as well as thy words As it 's impossible for him that hath a beam in his eye to pull out a mote out of another mans because the beam blindes him that he cannot see the mote so a man blinded with any reigning sin he cannot see infirmities in others to amend them Object But what Beam is it that is to be cast out Answ 1 Reigning sin Rom. 6.12 2 The beam of scandalous sin This was in Davids eye when he so severely judged him to death that took the the Ew-lamb 2 Sam. 12.5 6. Quest But how shall we come to see the greatness of our sins that they are beams 1 Consider the infinite majesty against whom committed 2 Consider the great knowledg thou hast sinned against 3 The length
fleet he would not joyn with his son Ahaziah though sollicited When a man hath had a fall from a resty horse which had like to have broke his neck he will hardly come upon his back again 2 He will not be hired for any gain of sin against God he will not sell himself as Balaam did Tryals of thy Mourning 1 True mourning that comes from the spirit of grace looks at God who hath been dishonoured and at Christ who hath been crucified Psal 51.3 4. Mine iniquitie is ever before me against thee thee onely have I sinned Hos 6.1 Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn us and he will heal us Luke 15.18 Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee so it looks on Christ as crucified Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced In opposition to this there is a mourning flowing from the spirit of bondage which is a forced work this differs from the other as the motion of a clock from the motion of a living creature the one is moved from a principle of life the other from weights in the one a man is humbled in the other he humbles himself 2 True mourning hath a change of heart going with it Jer. 4 14. Luke 7.38 those eys that had been employd in wanton glancings now they weep those hairs that had been laid out to entangle now wipes Christs feet those lips that had kist wantonly now kiss Christs feet Hypocritical mourners have no change of heart they are like thievs who forbear stealing while in prison onely 3 If thy mourning for sin be right outward contents will not take it off David had the delights of a Court yet did not this take off his mourning Psalm 51.3.38.6 4 If thy mourning for sin be right it will be on this ground because it turnes away the face of God 2 Chron. 7.12 13. 5 Thou wilt mourn for secret sins as well as for open Psalm 19.12 Cleanse me from my secret sins as vain thoughts Jer. 4.14 c. 6 Thou wilt mourn especially for thy great sins as David doth for his adultery and murder Psalm 51 14. and Paul for his blasphemy 1 Timothy 1.13 7 Thy mourning will be especially for thy master sin Psalm 32.4 5. All Davids mourning was nothing till he came to touch upon this sin of murder to mourn for it 8 Thou wilt mourn for it not onely in times of extremity as Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 and Judas Matth. 27.4 but likewise in times of prosperity 9 True mourning looks at Gods face and favour 1 Sam. 7.3 Psalm 51.8 12. Ezek. 7.16 Hypocrites mourning is to have temporal judgements removed 1 Kings 21.27 and so Jehoram 2 Kings 6.29 30. and those who howled upon their beds for Corn and Wine Hos 7.14 Means to mourning 1 Urge the Lord with his Promise of taking away thy stony heart Ezek. 36.26 Zach. 12.10 God promises to pour upon the house of David and the Hierusalem of Jew and Gentile a spirit of grace and supplication and they shall mourn c. 2 Be frequent in self-examination Psalm 22.28 They shall remember themselves and turn to the Lord Lam. 3.39 Jer. 31.19 after Ephraim was brought to know himself he lamented 3 Keep thy heart under the powerfull dispensation of the Word Jer. 23.29 The Word is a Fire and Hammer Acts 2.37 4 Look often on Christ crucified Hard is thy heart if it mourns not when thou remembrest the dying of Christ Zach. 12.10 looking on him they pierced they mourned 5 Pray for the Spirit of grace to be poured upon thy soul Isai 32.15 When the Spirit is poured from on high the Wilderness will be a fruitfull Field that is those hearts that were like Wildernesses and Forests when the spirit was poured from on high became fruitfull Fields 6 Get assurance of thy interest in Christ crucified A man cannot mourn heartily for sinning against the Lord so long as he knows not but God may damn him in time to come but when Gods love is manifested there will be great sorrow 7 Mournfull considerations as that thou hast broken an holy Law thou hast offended a tender Father that thou hast lived an unprofitable life that thou hast sadded righteous men and gladded wicked men that thou hast been partaker with other men in their sins that thou hast often slidden back from God that thou hast been so dead-hearted in thy secret approaches to God 8 Consider the benefits of holy mourning as 1 Joy is wont to follow it Psalm 97.11.126.6 7. as a joyfull Harvest follows a weeping Seed-time when the poor Farmer mourns to cast away his precious Seed which his Family so much wants Luke 6.25 Isai 57.18 Isai 6.1 2 3. 2 Such persons are marked in an evil time Ezek. 9.4 Job 5.11 3 Such persons are not without blessedness though they be without comfort for Blessed are they that mourn Yea a time is coming when the Lord shall be thy everlasting Light and the days of thy mourning shall be ended Isai 60.20 4 This is one of the effects of Repentance 2 Cor. 7.7 Joel 2.12 5 Godly mourning is a special means to compose the dissoluteness and loosness of our affections which are apt to be scattered too much among carnal joys James 4.9 10. Be afflicted and mourn let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heaviness 9 Practise duties as 1 Private admonition 2 Sam. 12.7 Psalm 141.5 2 Take a fit season for plowing up thy heart Jer. 4.3 when softened by outward trouble 3 Get a particular knowledg of thy evils 1 Sam. 12.19 We have sinned in asking us a King 2 The Reason why mourners are blessed For they shall be comforted here in part 2 Cor. 1.4 and hereafter fully in Heaven James 1.12 Apoc. 7.17 V. 4. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Obs Meek persons are blessed 1 What meekness is 2 Why the meek are blessed 1 What it is it is a certain moderation of minde speech and gesture whereby a man becomes gentle and tractable towards those with whom he converses so that he is not sharpened unjustly at their follies and frowardness and smaller offences they commit against him 2 Why meek persons are blessed 1 Because Christ pronounces them blessed Psalm 149.4 The Lord taketh pleasure in his people he will beautifie the meek with salvation Psalm 147.6 The Lord lifts up the meek The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord Isai 29.19 2 Christ promises such persons rest Matth. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and ye shall finde rest for your souls Now what rest is this save the rest of grace and glory 3 A meek spirit is of high price in the sight of God 1 Peter 3 4. God exalts such souls in blessedness Hence Preachers are sent to preach good tidings to the meek Isai 61.1 Psalm 76.9 4 Let us learn this duty 1 We have the example of Christ herein Matth. 21.5 Behold thy
of time thou hast lived in them Hosea 8.3 4 Upon what small temptations thou hast committed them 5 That thou hast been instrumental to carry persons to Hell by thine evils Acts 26.11 6 That thou hast caused persons to turn away from the way of truth by thine evils 2 Peter 2.1 2. and caused them to turn to evil by thy example as Jeroboam who made Israel to sin 7 The sore punishments God hath inflicted upon persons for committing such sins as thou hast been guilty of 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 10 11. Quest But how must we cast out this beam Answ 1 Believe that there 's pardon for great sins in Christ and bathe thy soul in Christ's bloud Do as they that were stung with fiery Serpents John 3.14 1 John 1.7 2 Repent and turn to God with all thy heart Joel 2.12 Let thy repentance appear in the three parts of it 1 Confession 1 John 1.8 2 Humiliation Jerem. 13.17 18. 3 Reformation Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquity Prov. 28.13 And then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the Mote out of thy Brothers eye See who is to be admonished even a Brother Lev. 19.18 Matth. 18.15 16 17. 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thess 3.6 whether he be of our own or of another Church if our Brothers Ox or Ass straying are to be brought home by us Deut. 22.1 2 3 4. much more himself yet may others that are not Brethren be reproved because reproof is a kinde of spiritual alms that ought to be given to all as well as bodily alms where there 's hope of amending V. 6. Give not that which is holy to Dogs neither cast ye your Pearls before Swine lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and rend you Clemens Alexandrinus mentions that among the Chaldees Egyptians and Hebrews their Professours were wont to deliver their Precepts in Proverbs and so doth Christ as before so here and elsewhere it is a demonstrative kinde of teaching practised by Solomon Eccles 12.10 In the words two things 1 A Precept Give not that which is holy to Dogs 2 The Reasons 1 Lest they trample them under their feet 2 Lest they turn again and rend you 1 The Precept Give not that which is holy to Dogs Some by Dogs understand Unbelievers as if the Word Baptism and Supper should not be given to them For Baptism and the Supper it appears they ought not to be given as being not converting Ordinances but signs and declaratives of conversion already wrought Were they converting Ordinances they should actively effectively and operatively produce the grace of Regeneration and after a physical manner work upon the soul whereas they work onely in by and through the understanding and therefore must be administred on those believers that have understanding to receive them but for the Word it being Gods means to bring persons from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to Gods Kingdom Acts 18.26 it ought to be offered to all Therefore by Dogs is meant the stubborn and professed Enemies of the Gospel who having formerly been convinced of the truth of it are now apostatized and cease not to rail and persecute that truth Acts 19.9 when divers spake evil of the way of God before the multitude Paul departed from them Others more pertinently restrain that which is holy to admonition whereof he had spoke this ought not to be given to Dogs and Swine of which Prov. 9.8 Reprove not a Scorner lest he hate thee reprove a wise man and he will love thee Prov. 23.9 Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words onely we must not forbear the duty of admonition to them that it may do some good to upon this pretence as if they were Dogs or Hogs when we perceive no such thing by them for our hearts are but too backward to perform this duty because we see it so unwelcome to most men By dogs Christ means contradictors and blasphemers against admonition whether publickly in the ministry of the Word as the Jews of Antioch did Acts 13.46 who hereby adjudged themselves unworthy of everlasting life and the Apostles upon their contradiction turned to the Gentiles See Matth. 10.14 15. so did Paul in the like case Act. 19.9 depart into the school of Tyrannus upon the contradiction the Jews made against his doctrine Such were those circumcision teachers whom Paul calls dogs Phil. 3.2 Beware of dogs and perhaps those Rev. 22.15 without are dogs are here meant and also Christ means private admonition Prov. 23.9 When persons shall rage against it the Lord provides for the safety of his servants least for their good will they be rent in pieces by the ungodly By holy things and pearls then Christ means publick and private admonition they are called holy because the persons that give it are holy and because the subject matter even the admonition is holy and because of the end which is the sanctification of souls They are called Pearls for their preciousness and excellency Psal 141.5 Admonition is compared to an excellent Oyl By hogs Christ means they do not contradict but by the uncleanness of their lives they show their contempt of your admonitions It s one thing to tread holy admonitions under our feet as hogs do and those that wallow in their sins and another thing to bite and rend him that reaches holy admonitions to us as dogs do such an one was Crescens the Cynick Philosopher from whom Justin Martyr expected his death As Christ would not have publick and private admonition to be given for their sake so would he not have it altogether kept silent for their sake Of this sort of dogs are many who stir up not onely Magistrates but the common people against the professors of truth because the truth such hold forth is contrary to their profit and praise as we see in Christ and the Apostles The reasons of this are 1 The unprofitableness and unworthiness Your labour will be spent in vain they will trample these precious things under their feet Things that are slighted and counted nothing worth are trod in the mire as pearles c. to them that know not their worth 2 Your own safety they will turn again and rend you they will prepare fire sword prisons and banishment against you and therefore as no man will meddle with a mad Dog for fear he be bit by him so should we beware of such Dogs There are some wicked men though they be not cured yet are they curable to these admonitions may be given but some are incurable to whom they are not to be given And though we are to give a reason of the hope in us to every man yet is it onely to them that ask a reason thereof which Hogs and Dogs do not So that as in the former Verse Christ showes who and what kinde the reprovers should be such as were free from beams or gross evils so here in this
their death-beds you have kept your Church and been good to the poor and peaceable among your neighbours 10 Vain-glory also is a fruit of a false Prophet John 7.18 He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory Contrarily faithfull Teachers preach not themselves but Christ Jesus the Lord 2 Cor. 4.5 John 3.30 11 Also dissimulation is a fruit of a false Prophet he endeavours to make persons to believe otherwise of things then he himself doth as of the Scriptures that they are of God but yet onely for such a time not for a constant rule of faith he believs the resurrection but he means a spiritual resurrection not a bodily of the same body committed to the earth 12 Also bitter invectives against instrumental teaching that they may draw Disciples after themselves Acts 20.30 31. 13 Also they carry you from the light of the Scriptures to the light within you contrary to Esai 8.20 to the law and to the testimony If they speak not according to that it is because there is no light in them Thou hast no light within who carriest persons from the Scriptures how can the light within thee check thee for any thing but from the light of Gods word The Word used thirty times in the New Testament for Conscience is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a knowledge together with this conscience together with God witnesses all our purposes words and actions whether good or evill Rom. 9.1 But whence doth it witness for or against us even from the light of the Word A man might commit idolatry and persecution every day and yet not be troubled at it if he do not know the Law of God Unless the knowledge of Gods word be in our mindes the conscience cannot exercise its judicial act in determining of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of our actions Hence when the Scripture would stir up a mans conscience it appeals to his knowledge 1 Cor. 6.15 16 19. 1 Cor. 9.23 24. 14 Also the denying of Ordinances upon pretence of immediate communion with God These false Prophets cast off the Ordinances wherein God and the soul of a believer have communion they throw down Christs ordinances and institutions that Satans inspirations and revelations may be instead of them Because there are some Allegories in the Scriptures they turn all into Allegories that they may carry us into a Wood whence we may not finde our way out and all to stablish these fooleries and yet these men judge themselves to have come into a state of perfection judging others to be children who use ordinances But that they may not seem to be mad without reason they bring some arguments as 1 The distinction put betwixt the Law and Gospel called Letter and Spirit 1 Cor. 3.6 by Letter is meant the Law by the Spirit the Gospel The Gospel is called Spirit comparatively because there is a greater powring out of the Spirit now then formerly Some by Letter understand the Law and by Spirit the gifts of the Spirit as tongues prophesie c. but I lean to the former because so expounded Rom. 7.6 where by oldness of the Letter the Apostle understands a principle of natural conscience and by newness of the Spirit a principle of regeneration For these Ordinances of Baptism and Supper God appointed them as helps to our faith through which is livelily held forth a crucified Christ for remission of sins to a believing soul for not divers things but one and the same is signified in both those ordinances of Baptism and the Supper to wit remission of sins to believers and repentants For the duration and perpetuity of ordinances till the end of the world take these reasons 1 Because there hath been since the Apostles times throughout all ages a Church therefore Ordinances Eph. 3.22 Unto him be glory in the Church throughout all ages therefore in every age there will be both Church and Ordinances 2 Because there is a command of our performance and observation of them to the end of the world and a promise of Gods presence with us in so doing Matth. 28.19 20. Make Disciples in all Nations Lo I am present with you to the end of the world 1 Cor. 11.26 So oft as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye shew forth the Lords death till he come What warrant have any believers to make a change till the Lord come No more warrant to put an end to Baptism then to making Disciples or the teaching the observation of Christs Commandements I can well nigh trace this delusion to the beginning In the year 1644 divers Books were printed against Infant-baptism the arguments whereof prevailed against Infant-baptism that many Commanders in the Army were against it but the Parliament and times being much for it these Commanders were troubled to keep in with conscience and with the times sundry persons disputing that these Officers were bound to take up the Baptism of Believers In this juncture of time comes a Chaplain to the Army who being forced out of the County of Kent was in the same condition with these Gentlemen he comes and preaches a doctrine that Baptisme and the supper were onely carnal ordinances and types and that they ended in the first age or to that effect so this doctrine being received with great applause this preacher formerly of little acquaintance came in one month to be one of the most eminent preachers in the army and these Gentlemen formerly troubled might now by the arguments of Mr. J. S. easily bundle the times and their principles against infant Baptisme together whiles hereby they were kept from the principles of the Anabaptists Though the said Mr. J. S. had formerly conferred with me to Baptize him which I was willing to do onely through worldly prudence he desired a place to be digged first in his own house to escape the odium of the times but at the end of four dayes when he had appointed me to come to dispense it he came to question the power of the dispenser so I departed home and left him About six months after I being with him reasoned so far that in one after-noon I answered his arguments and wifes being many till they had no more to say save this they were convinced but they must stay till God did perswade after which time he speedily went into the Army the product and spawn of whose preachings and printings were these delusions about denying ordinances which groundedly may be suspected was both to speaker and hearers the punishment for dallying with truth and denying submission to it after conviction My conscience tells me that the thing I write of him was truth and he was my intimate friend whom I should in no wise have cited so publick but that conscience to God for the undeceiving of others urgeth me 15 The last sort of fruits by false Prophets is that the Scriptures have their period and time of expiration and that every less light is swallowed up by a greater