good and so great evil comes of it But the most general and proper reading of the words is as in our ordinary Translation Thou shalt not connive at him and thereo◠embolden him to continue in his sin augmenting the heap and number of his Transgressions but shalt put a stop to him by seasonable and timely Reprehension Let no man tell me this is meer Morality and prejudice himself against the benefit he should reap As God in his Law so Christ in his Gospel doth peremptorily exact and call for our compliance with this Precept in several places If thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault Mat. 18.15 Warn them that are unruly 1 Thes 5.14 They are said to be full of Goodness who have the ability to admonish one another Rom. 15.14 Ye count him as an enemy whom you will not admonish as a brother 2 Thes 3.15 Reprove the unfruitful works of darkness Eph. 5.11 It was a Law in Israel That a man should not see his Brothers Ox or Ass fall down by the way and hide himself from them Doth God take care for Oxen nay for us are these things written But alas we are fallen into those latter days spoken of by our Blessed Saviour wherein iniquity should increase and the love of many wax cold What a sinful bashfulness doth attend us sneaking shamefully from our work and duty of Reproof when an hellish impudence is in some profligate Wretches that with open face and brazen brow daily make breaches on God's Royal Law How quietly and unconcernedly can we see some violent sinners upon a full career in the broad way of Destruction and never attempt to stop them or throw in a bar or block to abate the swiftness of their feet tho it be to the shedding of their own blood Is this consistent with the Love of God with the love of thy brother's invaluable soul or the happiness and security of thine own Having by this short Paraphrase taken off what of mist and darkness might surround the Words I should descend to an Enquiry into several Particulars each of which would require more time to discourse of than usually is allotted to Exercises of this nature yet I shall not totally omit them As 1. I should state the nature of this Duty and shew you wherein it doth consist 2. On whom this Duty is most principally incumbent 3. I shall demonstrate the great Necessity and Reasonableness of it 4. I shall lay down some Rules and Directions how to manage it successfully 5. I shall lastly Apply it In short for the First Particular I shall only take notice of Three Words in the Scripture which sufficiently express the nature of Reprehension 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A striking and beating of one It denotes the vehemency and earnestness of Reproof The Gravity of some mens Persons and the Eminency of their Station do exempt them from blows of this nature you may read the Supersedeas which some men have 1 Tim. 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder but intreat him as a father have respect to his Office and deal not rigidly with him 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more mild and gentle kind of increpation yet join'd with some Acrimony and tartness of Speech 2 Cor. 2.6 Thus Peter rebuked Christ Mark 8.32 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bare minding and remembring a putting of the Mind in order by Advertisement and Admonition This is the most fair and favourable course the most likely to prove successful that which primarily is to be used the other only in extremities The Schoolmen give many definitions of it and the Ancient Fathers abound with variety of Illustrations telling us that great is the Affinity between Soul and Body both as to their Diseases and Remedies That which Physick is to the Body Reprehension is to the Soul and the same rule and method must be observed in the application of the means of Cure. They reckon up three Parts of Physick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Diet Medicines and Chyrurgery all which by way of Analogy and Proportion are to be used in the Cure of Spiritual Distempers Clemens Alexandrinus compares them together 1. Admonition he says is the Diet of the Soul forbidding that which is simply hurtful or contrary to the disposition of the Patient and affording strong and wholesome nourishment 2. Reproof is a Medicinal Potion that hath always attending of it a tang of bitterness which purgeth out the Morbifick Matter and all peccant Humors and Corruptions of the Soul and is a great Restorative 3. Rebuke if sharp and keen is the spiritual Chyrurgery which sometimes is to be used cuttingly with a sharp Point and Edge Intemperans aeger crudelem facit Medicum Salt upon some occasions must be rubb'd and chaf'd into some sores and wounds In short Brotherly correption consists in giving our Brethren necessary instructions in matters they are ignorant of in letting them have timely notice of their sinful Affections and Inclinations and in a total breaking off our intimacy of conversation and society with them if they prove stubborn and incorrigible stopping their ears against all wise Charms I proceed now to the II. Particular To shew who are the Persons mostly concerned in the discharge of this Duty The better to understand this you must know that Divines generally distinguish Reproof into Ministerial and by way of Authority and Fraternal by way of Charity 1. Ministers admonish by way of Office. The truth is the work of Reproof belongs in some sort to all men who have the use of Reason because it is a natural Precept and a work of Mercy a general Office due from one neighbour to another Hence Infidels may reprove Believers so Abimelech reproved Sarah Gen. 20.15 Thus Inferiors may reprove their Superiors provided it be done with Modesty and Reverence But principally this Duty is incumbent on three sorts of Persons 1. On such who in regard of Office are obliged to take the charge and care of others as Ministers and Dispensers of the Divine Oracles are 2. On such who are engaged by bonds of Nature and their Relative Stations and Capacities thus Patents and Masters stand more especially concerned 3. On such who are qualified and fitted with Parts and Gifts to perform this Office with success 1. It is a principal part of our Ministry to rebuke Among Christ's Disciples one was stiled a Son of Thunder and what was said of St. Basil ought to be the Character of every faithful Steward in God's House That he thunder'd in his Doctrine and lighten'd in his Life If we look through all the Old Testament you will find that most of the Prophets Messages were severe Rebukes and Threatnings The Jews call the Book of Deuteronomy the Book of Objurgations and that Section which beginneth Deut. 28.15 they call the Section of Objurgations The necessity of this Duty is such to us that God will require the blood of the People at the hands of their
to have Names and Appellations which they do not in the least answer How absurd is it to be called Christians and yet not to have the spiritual Anointment of Heavenly Graces upon us There are some as Salvian expresses it are Christians fine Christo Our Names should be indicative of our Natures otherwise thou art a Christian by an Antiphrasis It is noted of the Roman Bishops that they have been very ridiculous in their choice of Names at their Creation A Coward would be called Leo a Cruel one Clemens or Vrbanus an Impious one Pins a Carnal one Celestinus a Loose one Severus a Deformed one Formosus and a Devil Eugenius Let men either live as they are called Christians or be called as they live Pagans Art thou called a Believer shew it by thy Faith. Art called a Saint shew it by thy Holiness A Disciple shew it by thy Knowledge Are ye called Brethren shew it by your Love and shew your Love by your regard to this Precept of God's in my Text Let your Speech and Reproof be always with Grace seasoned with Salt that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. Christianity of all Religions is the meekest and most humble 't is founded upon the Blood of Christ who is a Lamb slain 't is consigned and sealed by the Spirit of Christ who descended like a gall-less Dove Our God is a God of Peace and Love and will not be served with wrathful Affections Doth the God of Heaven need a Tongue set on fire of Hell Have I need of Madmen saith Achish Will our Saviour always stand in need of Asses I mean of such who are destitute of that Wisdom which is from above which is characterized to be first pure and then peaceable There are some sorts of Men whom we may bray in Mortar and yet they have their retentive faculty their folly will not depart from them They still either slabber or foam at the mouth they shall either flatter or rage If I were addicted either to Invectives or Satyrs I am sure I have here scope enough But I will withdraw my hand lest I should seem to involve my self in the guilt of that Sin which this Discourse was primarily design'd against I shall conclude with die last Branch of my Application which is Fourthly Exhortatory and by way of Admonition If thou must not refuse to afford thy helping hand to a fallen Beast withdraw it not from a fallen Brother Put on Bowels which are Humane and highly improved by the Doctrine of Christ who hath furnished us with Arguments beyond all contradiction to enforce our Duty If we love God or our selves we must not hate our Brother Whose Eye doth not weep whose Heart doth not ake to see the Misery of such a person whom nothing cooler than unquenchable burnings and nothing lighter than the heavy strokes of an incensed and Almighty hand can make sensible of their sinful Omissions of this nature We must all cry Guilty at our Arraignment and Indictment for our Copartnership with others in their Offences we have not prevented that Sin we have had fair Opportunities to crush in the very Egg. Jeroboam made Israel to sin But how He neither forbid them by Word nor prevented them by Example It is said St. Peter compelled the Gentiles to Judaize How did he so Not by what he preached but by what he practised They sinned after the similitude of their Spiritual Father's Transgression How many Transgressors have we beheld and never grieved because they kept not God's Word Doubtless not to do Good is to do Evil. We have Sins enough of our own to answer for Our Father died in his own sin said Zelophehad's Daughters Our own Sins are sufficient enough to our Ruine we need not the additional aid other Mens yet we every day call in for fresh Contributions to our own personal Transgressions and no way more than this by connivence at the Miscarriages and Transgressions of others to whom we are sufficiently enough authorized to give check Be not therefore deterred from your Duty because your habitual neglect of it has been of so long standing You must force your selves against all presenting Difficulties the Objections of your own Singularity and the reproved Sinners Obstinacy must not be entertained but repelled with all Christian Resolution I acknowledge it is no easie matter to bear a Reproof well tho never so well administred No Sugar can bereave a Pill of its natural bitterness and it fares with Offenders as with those who are awakened out of their sleep they are unquiet and ready to brawl at their best Friends Dogs in a chase will sometimes bark at their own Masters There are few like the Woman of Samaria who lov'd Christ the better for finding her out in her sin But remember thy Lord will be ashamed of thee if thou art of him and whoever is ashame'd of his Commandments is asham'd of his Lord that enacted them If They can boldly sin way should not We boldly reprove Only Sin is truly shameful and it is a very commendable importunity to sollicite men to be kind to themselves and to disturb them till they consult their own Everlasting Rest For fear of offending thy Brother wilt thou resolve to offend God Whose displeasure is most to be dreaded God's or Man's Remember he is far from being impertinent who will not suffer his Brother undisturbedly to go to Hell He is far from being a busie-body who engages himself to save his Brother who is on the brink of Ruine To be employ'd where God calls is sufficient Commission for any man to act upon Do your Duty leave the success to God who is promised to bless his own Institutions Resolve upon a speedy complying with your Duty Life is uncertain He may die who wants our Reproof We may die who are to give it and so be out of the reach of our Charity Our Mouths and Their Ears will in a short compass of time be stopp'd with Ashes Do not therefore persist in the neglect of this Duty any longer Omissions will damn as certainly as Commissions and it is all one whether we go to Hell for one Sin or many Be not therefore too thrifty of thy Tongue when a word may do much good We are not born all to ourselves but somewhat to our Brother Neighbour and Friend and we are guilty of the loss of that Soul we might save and do not I am sure with the Apostle that He cannot love God whom he hath not seen who loves not his Brother whom he hath seen and can endure to see miserable In being thus Friends to others we chiefly befriend our selves and never let us think much of our pains when we are rewarded with so great Blessings for our Work. Now God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ make you to increase and abound in love towards one another and towards all men to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in Holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints Amen FINIS Dr. Hammond Gen. 31.19 Isa 58.1 1 Tim. 5.20 Rev. 2.2 Psal 141.5 Prov. 27.6 Luke 4.33 34. Tit. 2.15 Prov. 15.10 Ezek. 3.26 Lib. 6. Conf. c. 9. Acts 20.26 Prov. 24.25 Prov. 28.23 Prov. 9.8 Dan. 12.3 Eccles 12.11 1 Sam. 12.3 Josh 22.12 V. 35. Job 6.25 Isa 11.3 Deut. 13.14 Gal. 6.1 Exod. 22.18 2 Tim. 3.16 Joh. 3.20 Rom. 2.15 Heb. 11.7 Rev. 14.1 Heb. 12.1 Phil. 2.15 Psal 9.3 1 Chron. 16.21 Psal 16.21 Psal 39.11 Luke 17.32 Jer. 7.12 Dan. 5 22. Zeph. 3.6 7. Matt. 1.19 Jer. 18.18 Psal 64.6 Luke 11.53 Deut. 27.24 Eccl. 7.1 2 Kings 20.13 1 Cor. 5.2 Gen. 4. 2 Tim. 2.22 23 c. 2 Tim. 5. Col. 4.6 Gal. 2.14 Psal 119.158 1 Thes 3.11 c.
A SERMON PREACHED at Mercers-Chappel On the 13 th of JANUARY 1688 9. BY TIMOTHY Lord Bishop of OXFORD LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultry over-against Stocks-Market MDCLXXXIX LEVITICUS XIX 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin upon him THAT we love the Brotherhood and be kindly affectioned to one another is the joint and concurrent Language both of Law and Gospel It is one of those common Principles which are naturally engraven on the tables of the hearts of all men The ways and methods of discharging our duty and expressing our good will to Mankind are various and different they run in several channels one is mentioned in my Text viz. by fraternal correption a necessary but a much neglected Duty We are very prone and forward to reproach our Brethren for their infirmities and to make a mock at their sins instead of going back and throwing a Mantle over them to hide and cover their nakedness we rather draw the Curtain open and with a secret titillation and pleasure expose them to the observation and contempt of the most scornful Michal Instead of burying and Christianly interring in silence some of their slips and failures men rather rake in the Grave and tear up the Earth to give them an inglorious resurrection When we should privately address to our Brother with all imaginable Meekness Pity and Sobriety to restore and recover him after some irregular step or unwary fall men rather publickly proclaim and divulge on the House-top their Neigbours failing and set it in such a light where it may most eminently be seen With what bitter taunts and cruel mockings with what slanderous aspersions and defamations do men prosecute one another Yea to that height of wickedness have some advanced in these low-running dregs of time that instead of being grieved that their Brother has done amiss they could be glad if he had done much worse My Friends is not this a great fault have we thus learned either of Moses or Christ This way of treating thy Brother will appear to be collateral Blasphemy and virtual Murther Let me shew you a more excellent way by learning your Duty to him in the words of my Text Which Duty is expressed 1. Negatively Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart 2. Affirmatively Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour 3. With an Argument and Motive persuading us to it And not suffer sin upon him I shall not wear out my little time in accurate and Logical Analysing of the words but shall consider them as an entire Doctrinal Proposition 1. Neg. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart A Meiosis Thou shalt heartily love him and do all good Offices to him relating both to his Soul and Body This is to resemble God who is always doing of good and showring down his Blessings and Mercies on our Heads nay in this work of Brotherly Reprehension we resemble our Heavenly Father who is said to rebuke and reprove whomsoever he Loves Rev. 3.19 And if thou makest not Conscience thus to Love and affect him thou art guilty of his Blood and wilt be esteem'd in God's account his Murtherer for he that hates his Brother is so 1 John 3.15 And the Connexion of the Text to the former Verse gives us full proof of it Verse 16. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour and this is one way of doing of it by omitting rebuke Well then love thy Brother get admission into his heart and bowels not by the point of a Baionet or the force of a Bullet that is a very strange demonstration of our affection to him which by some has been practised but get into him by mild and soft counsels by wholesom advice 2 dly Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour Fail not at your peril here 's a plain injunction no Man exempted no corner to creep out at It is not left to your will and pleasure no Pleas and Excuses will serve your turn to justify your omission Necessity is laid on thee Thou shalt in any wise do it Thou shalt do it Thou thy self not by thy Deputy or Substitute Reproof is like the Peace-offering made by Fire thine own hand must bring it Lev. 1.17 Rebuke thy Neighbour Who is this Neighbour It was a Question propounded to Christ himself Luke 10.29 The Solution may be gathered out of Christ's Answer 1. In the General Every Man to whom I may be helpful Our Lord proves a Stranger may be a Neighbour Luke 10.36 All people that have the face of Man are called our flesh Isa 58. And our blood Acts 17.26 One blood Cousins at a remoter distance Any Man is our Neighbour in regard of the nearness of our first Original nay not only a Stranger but an Enemy may thus be our Neighbour 'T is true indeed that the Precept of Moses concerning the kind dealing of the Jews with other men extended not universally to all but peculiarly to their Country-men or Fellow Jews as for Aliens and Enemies they were not bound to be kind to them nay against some viz. the Seven Nations they were commanded to proceed in an hostile manner Matt. 5.43 But our Saviour teacheth us to extend our kindness as the Blessings of Heaven even to enemies and injurious provokers In the same manner and measure as they do ill to you do ye good to them blessing obliging admonishing reproving praying for them and making them no other returns for all their virulencies and malicious behaviour toward you but those of kindness and love that so you may approve your selves to be the Servants and Children of the Most high God and your Heavenly Father 2 dly There are more especially Neighbours who dwell near us with whom we frequently converse and have repeated opportunities of shewing our love in this kind to them There are also 3 dly Spiritual Neighbours begotten by the same spirit to the same hopes these are to have a special preferment in our affections They have the same God to their Father the same Church for their Mother the same House for their dwelling and the same Inheritance for their portion 3. And not suffer sin upon him There are various Readings of these words some thus Do not burthen thy self with sin for him Non suscipies propter illum peccatum i. e. Poenam peccati Take heed lest by thy silence thou bringest the guilt of his sin upon thee Through the silence of one we often suffer two to dye our selves and our erring brother Sure I am he that said If thy brother repent forgive him said also before that If thy brother offend admonish him And it is as great a sin not to reprove our brother when he hath transgressed as not to forgive him when he hath repented If we suffer sin upon him we our selves may suffer for his sin We neglect to do
Pastor if he reprove not The Shepherd was bound to make good that which was stollen as Jacob did to Laban Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their Transgression and the house of Jacob their sins 'T is the Spiritual Father's charge to his own Son in the Faith That he rebuke them that sin before all that others may fear And this he must do without Partiality not fearing the Eminency nor being deterr'd at the Greatness or any bold and open Transgressor As this is required of Ministers chiefly so it is expected and demanded of Parents and Masters God hath made them Guardians of their Children and Servants It is an idle conceit to think that we only are intrusted with the Cure of Souls you will find it no excuse for your negligence and omission in the great day of giving up your Accounts at God's Tribunal you are obliged to be keepers of their Souls as well as we nay every man in this sense ought to be his Brother's Keeper As God hath set Conscience to watch over the inward man so for the conversation he hath set Christians to watch over one another Suffer me before I proceed any further to improve this 1. It should teach all Ministers to be faithful in their places and to take care that no man muzzle up their mouths See how the Holy Ghost commends the Angel of the Church of Ephesus I know thy works and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil Wicked men are sometimes intolerable not to be endured or bore with It is no breach of Patience to be impatient against sin and sinners It is said of Suetonius that he took the same liberty in writing the Emperors lives that they took in leading them Wicked men take liberty to licentiousness in committing sin let us take as great a liberty in reproving it and let nothing either affright or allure us to a sinful connivance at their bold violations of God's Law. We must not be dumb tho they should use us as the thief doth a dog hold out a piece of bread to bribe us not to bark 2. This should teach the Great ones of the world to bear with Patience and to receive with Meekness the word of Reproof None are so high exalted as to be out of the reach of that Word which God speaks None are more our friends than they are who cannot stand by and see us offer violence to our selves without holding of our hands Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head There may be smiting without violation of Friendship and his wise Son Solomon preferr'd the wounds of a friend before the kisses of an enemy These may be pleasanter but those will prove wholesomer there is Treachery in these kisses but in those wounds faithfulness The Mother of Cyrus charged him who was to speak to the King to express himself verbis byssinis in soft and silken terms 'T is true sometimes we must come in the Spirit and Language of Love but 't is as true there is oftentimes as great need of coming with a Rod in our hands as a soft word in our mouths Bad men love not a Correcting Ministry like them Amos 7.10 The land is not able to bear all his words and ver 13. prophesie not again any more at Bethel for it is the King's chappel and it is the King's court They hate him that rebuketh in the gate i. e. the Judg that punished sin they abhor him that speaketh uprightly Men will endure to hear new Notions and controverted Points any Satyrical Reflections and bitter Invectives against their brethren but cannot brook to have their own Personal sins roughly handled Be careful you do not Galatizare as Tertullian phrases it hate him who tells you the truth nor be like those hearers mentioned Luke 4.19 21 22 28. While our Saviour preached the acceptable and glad tidings of Salvation the good news contained in the Gospel all the Congregation of Nazareth applauded his Doctrine and admired at the blessed words which proceeded out of his mouth but when he came to apply the word unto themselves they were filled with wrath against him thrust him out of the City and would have broke his neck by attempting to cast him down headlong from the brow of the Hill v. 29. Have a care you resist not such a Ministry which awakens the Conscience and sets the worm on gnawing altho it should provoke thee to cry out with a loud voice as he did who was possessed with an unclean Spirit Let us alone art thou come to destroy us God doth manifest his Presence and mighty Power in such a sifting Ministry and the nature of Sin is to make men afraid of God's Appearance and foolishly with Adam to attempt the secreting of themselves from his All-seeing Eye We are commanded to exhort and rebuke with all authority and you are enjoined not to despise and fret against the Doctrine we deliver and that on pain of Everlasting Damnation for he that hateth reproof shall dye I proceed to the 2 d Branch of Reproof that which is Fraternal and done in Brotherly Charity Every Private Christian may bear the Person tho not the Office of a Reprover and this is founded upon undeniable Grounds too large to be insisted on at this time in one single Sermon Whether we consult the Honour of God or the necessity of a punctual conformity to his Will not distinguishing his Commands but obeying all equally it nor disputing any of them but obeying all readily it will appear to be our interest as well as our duty presently to comply with God's Will and Pleasure Or if we respect the happiness and welfare of our Brother exercising in this work the highest acts of charity and benevolence for if he hear us then we have gained our brother When thou hearest thy Neighbour swear lye slander deride holiness persecute with his Tongue the Man who is more righteous than himself intreat him then to bethink himself what will be the end of such Devilish practices shew him his danger and snatch him if it be possible out of the fire he is hastning into Thou hast a heart of Stone if thou art not concerned and industrious to prevent his everlasting ruine for he is riding post to the Devil if a stop be not put in his way It is no privilege to any Man to be out of the way of a Reprover but a severe judgment to be told they shall no more be smitten with this Rod. God to punish Judah for their Rebellion threatneth to impose silence on his Prophet Let us make much of a blow and stroke of this nature it carrieth healing with it St. Austin gives two instances of the happy success of Admonition the one given by
way meet for his work Good Counsel from a bad man must not be slighted Balaam was a bad man yet he had a good wish and uttered a most excellent Prophesie A diseased Physician may prescribe good Medicines a lame Steward may distribute his Masters Alms Ungrounded is that Doctrine both of the Romanists and several others who tell us That the Benefit of God's Ordinances depends upon the goodness and right intentions of the Priest and Minister What shall I not be saved by hearing unless the Preacher be saved whom I hear Is the Grace of God tied to the Ministry of man Shall the Servant share the Honour and part stakes with his Master Our Lord and Great Prophet taught the people to observe their Doctrines that sate in Moses Chair tho without breach of Charity he called them Serpents and Hypocrites Sampson did not disdain the Sweets because he found them uncleanly laid in the Lions Carkass His diet was strict enough he might not eat that which savoured of Legal Impurity yet refused not a Honey-comb because found in the belly of a dead Beast Honey is Honey tho in a dead Lyon. Having inserted this necessary Caution I shall in the Close subjoin Two or Three Things by way of Inference Reproof and Advice by way of more particular Application 1. I hence infer That if it be the Duty of Ministers Parents and Governors of Families to give Reproof then it is the Duty of People Children and Servants to take it You are as much obliged to have a willing Ear as we are to use a faithful Tongue But woe unto us we have stopped our ears against the loud and reiterated Rebukes of Heaven God at sundry times and divers manners hath both in times past spoken and still doth speak in very Reprehensory Language and has let us know his mind in very broad and legible Characters so that if we were upon the wing flying or on our feet running we may plainly read it There are four ways in a more singular and eminent manner by which God has reprehended us 1. By his Word 2. By our Consciences 3. By the Examples of Good Men. 4. By his Judgments on Bad Men. 1. By his Word That is profitable for reproof for reproof of Errors and false Doctrines for correction of sin and evil manners Every one that doth evil hates this sacred Torch neither cometh to this light lest his deeds should be reproved Moreover by them i. e. by thy Statutes is thy servant warned But men seal up this Book to themselves and spend more time in Romantick Discourses than in these Sacred Oracles 2. He reproves by our own Consciences How often do they check and chide us 'T is said of David as soon as he had cut off the lap of Saul's Garment his heart smote him that is his Conscience recoil'd upon him Conscience is the great Register and Recorder of the World it hath the Pen of a ready writer not a word or thought escapes its swift Pencil It is God's Historiographer which writes not only Anuals but Diaries it hath its Book and Table wherein it indelibly writes mens Transgressions and Swervings It is man's private Notary his Bailiff to arrest him and seize upon every miscarrying habit and act It is his Judg sifts and scrutinizes the Offender convicts and then condemns the Malefactor Their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another And how many secret Lectures hath this read to us What Artifices have we used to rock it to sleep Play and Gaming Musick and Feasting Company and many diversions of the same nature have been cast in to still this importunate and offensive babler whose tongue will never lye still 3. God reproves by the Examples of Good Men. Noah condemned the old world for their security by his preparing an Ark. A good man leads a convincing life and there is an Elenctical Power in his holy deportment Those that stood with the Lamb had the Father's name in their foreheads as Holiness to the Lord was upon the High Priest's We must answer not only for sinning against the Light of God's Word and our own Consciences but the light of good example also The faithful are called Witnesse so Lot witnessed against the sinners of his age A Good Man's life is the best Scripture-Commentary and hath a Magnetical Virtue a hidden Excellency to allure to Goodness The Godly shine like Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation 4. God reproves by his Judgments on bad men he reproves both by his Word and Rod as by the testimony of his mouth so by the works of his hands Thou hast rebuked the heathen thou hast destroyed the wicked That act of destruction was a smart Reprehensory Lecture to them they were taught with Briars and Thorns God will get his lessons in at mens backs if they will not kindly receive them at their ears he will whip them into better manners and shew them their faults by their stripes Reproof is frequently in Scripture put for chastisement Lot's Wife was turned into a Pillar of Salt looking back contrary to God's command and that this Pillar of Salt was for the seasoning of all that would cast an eye behind to Sodom appears by our Saviour's general application of it Remember Lot's wife Remember What Not so much the Miracle which every cursory Reader of the Scripture has at his fingers ends and poor Children like Parrots can recite to you but Remember the Moral the Doctrine and Instruction which lies more covertly under it But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first an see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel The Ancient Philosophers as Gellius noteth assigned Three Grounds for punishment of offenders 1. That which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when punishment was inflicted for amending of the party punished and to put him in mind of the committed offence 2. The second they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for preservation of the honour of him against whom the offence was committed lest indulgence should occasion contempt of his figure and dignity 3. They call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when an Offender was punished for Example sake to deter others from the like offence Some notorious Malefactors are hanged up in Chains to warn and affright others This was the aggravation of Belshazzar's Pride that he humbled not his heart tho he knew the judgment inflicted on his Father for the same sin Mark God's own method of Arguing I have cut off the nations their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passeth by their cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant I said Surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction so their dwelling should not be cut off howsoever I punished them
but they rose early and corrupted all their doings The ordinary word the Greeks used for punishment was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Example because there is not a punishment on one but it should be an example to all so the publick putting away a Wife that was found faulty is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make her a publick example Cambyses fley'd off the skin of a corrupt and warping Judge and spread it over the Seat of Judgment for his Successors to tread on that so it might be a continual Monitor to them to avoid injustice God will not endure a succession in wickedness and to prevent exemplarity reproves many in this way to give a check to the boldness of others in sin How often his methods in all these ways of Reprehension have been used with us I leave it to your selves to judge and how often we have defeated them God well knows and will judge us for them which leads me to a second branch of my Application I mean from a Doctrine of Reproof to descend to a Second Vse of Reproof 2. When we compare God's Precept with our Practise What bad Comments are they on so blessed a Text We may well cry out with our Country-man Linacre Aut hoc non est Evangelium aut nos man sumus Evangelici Either this is not Gospel or we are not Gospellers We ramble dreadfully from the Text the meanest Preacher may easily keep closer to the Sense of it than the generality of Professors do to the Practise of it Instead of taking this wise and honest course of fraternal correption we have used our selves to an accursed and odious way of fraternal defamation Two Beasts walk much up and down which Diogenes advised the Emperor to avoid being malignant biters the tame beast the Flatterer and the wild beast the Slanderer As the Jews conspired against Jeremiah so do many against their Brethren and Neighbours saying as they Let us smite them with the tongue let us devise devices against them If to Rail and Lye Censure and Revile to Misreport and Misrepresent were fulfilling the Commands of God and paying our Duty to our Brother if they were Rules of Behaviour and Conversation the generality of men might chime in with that young Gentleman in the Gospel and say after him All these have I kept from my youth upward They hate their brother in their heart and shew it in these following ways 1. By industriously searching out what is culpable and blame worthy in them on purpose to disgrace and reproach them Of this the Psalmist complains They search out iniquities they accomplish a diligent search It is a sad sign and indication that malice is boyl'd up to a great height in mens hearts when they are so inquisitive and studious to find out articles of impeachment against their Brother and proud as they who have obtained great spoil when they have made a fresh discovery of some crime in him 2. Men discover their hatred of their brother by tempting him to the commission of that sin which they design to make matter of objection against him Thus the malicious Pharisees did their utmost to cause Christ to offend if it had been possible urging him vehemently and provoking him with all their little artifices to speak of many things that they might accuse him They asked him many a captious question to make him an offender for a word 3. Their hatred is manifested by magnifying and aggrandizing their Brethrens faults swelling and improving every Mole hill to the size and bulk of a Mountain With their viperous and poysonous breath they blow up every bubble which at first was but a drop of Water stuft with a small vapour to the dimensions of a large Globe Some think themselves excusable herein if not commendable as thereby discovering their zeal against sin which never can be made to appear sufficiently sinful But let such beware lest upon scrutiny it should be found a bitter zeal having more of malice at the bottom than any true concern for God's Glory or their Brethrens good 4. And Lastly Men discover their hatred of their Brother by mentioning their failures and infirmities with some secret kind of rejoycing and pleasure What self-satisfaction do many take and without any uneasiness can hear a discourse of twice the length of any Sermon if the subject affect the reputation and good name of their nearest Neighbours A sad sin tho little laid to heart Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly This renders a Man like the Devil himself and transforms him into an Angel of darkness this involves us in the guilt and breach of many a Commandment Five of the second Table are often at once violated That Honour we should give to our Fathers our Governours and Superiours is with-held We are also dipt in Blood and guilty of Murther for he that hates his Brother wishes he were not Hatred extends it self to the extirpation and non-existence of the thing hated and therefore it is Heart-Murther thou dost kill him in thy thoughts tho for many external considerations thou art restrained from padling in his Blood with thy hands thou art loth to be hang'd for thy Fact. A Rape also is committed on his Name and thou canst not excuse thy self from a reductive breach of the seventh Commandment As for the eighth and ninth they are apparently broke Thou art a notorious Thief and Robber Your Brother 's good name is by Solomon preferr'd before precious Oyntments Oyntments in ancient times were a special part of the Royal Treasure of Princes When Hezekias in ostentation of his Royal Wealth and the Magnificence of his Treasures would shew the Babylonish Ambassadors his choicest Collections among the chiefest things there are reckoned in the Inventory the precious Oyntments Some tell us out of Pliny That there were Oyntments in the Apothecaries Shops of that value so great was the Riot and Luxury of those times that every Pound amounted to more than Twelve Pounds of our Money if they rightly compute the value of the Roman Peny A great rate surely if we consider the time wherein he lived about 1500 years since He had been a notorious Robber who should steal any considerable quantity of such costly Ware. And is not He a worser Thief injuriously and feloniously takes his Neighbour's good Name from him which is by the Wise Man adjudged to be better than any Oyntment consisting of the most costly Ingredients Let us have no fellowship with these Slanderers Tale-bearers and Whisperers but rather reprove them which we then effectually shall do when we will not allow our selves to be Receivers to these Thieves nor Abbettors of these Murtherers by setting our Ears open to these Calumniators and Detractors The Tale-hearer is the great Patron and Encourager of the Tale-bearer Receive not stoll'n Goods and you 'll spoil the Thiefs Trade What great difference is there to be found betwixt
him who has the Devil in his Tongue and the other who has the Devil in his Ear A venomous Tongue if it be not match'd with an easie credulous and itching Ear can never make any considerable earnings of it Beware therefore of this Snare of the Devil of reporting with some kind of delight the worst thou canst find in thy Brother overseeing wilfully the many commendable qualifications he is endowed with We are too like the old Criticks who had all Homer's imperfect Verses in memory but could not repeat any of those Excellent in their kind My Friends are we not here highly concerned With what a gusto and relish do many report if not raise Stories and Fables that may any ways derogate from the good Name and Reputation of those who dissent from them What say they do you not hear what such an one hath said or what the other hath done We tell smiling what St. Paul or any other right-complexion'd Christian could tell no otherwise than weeping They would mix tears with their words Is this to be rightly affected with other Mens breaches of God's Statutes Is this the right method of conquering your otherwise-minded Brethren Is this your rejoicing in good It was a great fault among some of the Corinthians that when they heard of the scandalous sin of the Incestuous person they were puffed up when they should rather have mourned There were great Divisions and Parties amongst them at that time when the Incest was committed and the contrary Faction thought they had an advantage against the whole Party and this puffed them up and they started the discourse of it in all Companies they came into Verily this is a great fault amongst us to throw thy Brother into the Dirt and then stand strutting upon him and crowing on his back while he is wallowing in the Mire This is a posture fitter for a Devil than a Christian For I beseech you in what one thing can a Man approach nearer to the similitude and likeness of that Evil Spirit than in the rejoicing at that Wickedness which is committed in the World especially for them to be guilty of it who by their Holy Office and Calling are more particularly obliged to the observation of the aforementioned Rules of Reprehension It is a Crime inexcusable It is no wonder to see wicked and profligate Wretches priding themselves in their proseliting others to their own practise when they make or find some in their own likeness but yet in them it is the height of Wickedness to glory either in their own or other Mens shame Lamech indeed did thus Thus did Alexander Pharoeus who consecrated that Javelin wherewith he had slain Polyphron and Protagoras who boasted he had spent forty years in corrupting of Youth Thus Mark Anthony disgorged a Book concerning his own abilities in Gluttony and Drunkenness Johannes a Casa wrote a Poem in commendation of those Spanish Virtues as one stiles them Whoredom Sodomy and Incest But for men making a more strict Profession of their subjection to Divine Revelations and all Moral Principles for such whose Character loudly calls on them as the more immediate Servants of the Lord not to strive but be gentle to all men in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves avoiding all things that do gender strifes to follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace To reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering thereby giving proof of their Ministry For these to be found deficient is a doubled and multiplied Iniquity Give me leave to be plain and a little more particular I am sorry to see men of this Rank so to unhallow and profane their own venerable Office that one would think in their Orders they received an unholy Spirit and Fire in the very literal sense of the words without the relief of Figure or Metaphor But it spreads farther abroad The Mouths of most stand half-cock'd ready to discharge at their Brethren in loud Vollies of Contumelies and false Reports nay some there are who if they were Basilisks as they are Vipers would stab their Brother to death with their Eyes Father forgive them though they know what they say and do What strange Accusations of late have been charged on such whose Souls abhorred to enter into any such Secresies viz. That they are Popishly inclined Promoters of Addresses of Abhorrence that they have covenanted to pull down all Bulwarks that have been erected for the Defence and Safeguard of the Protestant Religion In Defence of several within the compass of mine own knowledge I will adventure to say thus much These Evidences might with as much Reason and Honesty have sworn them to have been nurs'd up with the Milk of a Tygress or Bear that they came into the World vested with the Skins of Porcupines full of Darts and Spikes to squirt out at pleasure at Mankind That for their Religion they are Turks and Jews Pagans and Idolaters yea and that of the worst sort also that they are Canibals and eat nothing but Mans Flesh and that their drink is a warm draught of Human Gore That they were in a Plot to cut the Throats of their nearest Relations and had signed an Obligation to the Devil written with their own Blood That after a small space of time wherein they were to accomplish the aforesaid Designs they should tamely surrender themselves to that Evil One's disposal and mercy If this be thought to be spoken with too keen an edge I have only this to add in justification of it Those I speak of were never such Admirers of the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance as to suffer all the Dirt and Offal that could be raked out of Kennels and Common-shoars to be plaistered on their Faces without lifting up of a hand to wipe it off Their rejoicing is this the testimony of their Consciences that they have had their Conversation in the World with more Integrity and Godly Sincerity than these men will allow them and can say that humbly and thankfully which the Pharisee said falsly and haughtily God we thank thee we are not the Men as such report us to be III. Vse Let us all suffer a word of Exhortation to be added to a word of Reproof And here I beg it heartily that men would erect a Court of Inquisition in their own breasts and cite and try themselves before themselves Put these Questions home and give Conscience leave to answer with all imaginable freedom Are we Lambs or Wolves Doves or Vultures and Birds of Prey Don't our Language betray us Do we know what Spirit we are of We all do impropriate the Name of Evangelici Christians and Professors of the Gospel but let us all take heed that we deal not with the Gospel as the Jews did with the Law who carry'd it along with them in their Cloaths but not in their Hearts so we have it in outward Profession but express it poorly in Heart and Life How ridiculous is it for men