had not thought Professors wanted it 6. Another Preacher of Bristow at a Meeting in his Sermon or Prayer I heard speak of profane Professors that was his word 7. A Woman of a high way in Religion being in company with other professors some of them spake of the Changes since 1659. Whereupon she said I think affliction would do me good and some of you also 8. I have also heard divers Professors say as their own words or words which they did approve of uttered by other Professors If â— were as ready or ripe or fit some such word for mercy as our Adversaries be for wrath we should soon be delivered And I believe it is somewhat common with Professors to speak such words but who endeavours diligently and strenuously to reform Professors Part. 5. Fifthly I believe many of us are as yet without Christ utterly void of true grace wholly flesh altogether carnal and fleshly and stark dead in trespasses and sins John 3. 6. Eph. 2. 1 11 12. so that they do never serve God in faith or humility never in love or with any filial fear or godly reverence never worship God in the spirit never do any thing well in a holy manner never serve God acceptably so as to have their persons or services accepted with God John 15. 5. Heb. 12. 28. This is true of every one of them so that their iniquity must needs be very great Only I shall somewhat confidently hope that if God shall keep them constantly to the means of Regeneration any long time that then he will beget them again hereafter and not suffer them to die in their sins That there be such Professors see Marg. 125 126 127 128. Part. 6. Sixthly The iniquity and sins of such professors and of those who have true grace as well as of others is greatned many ways but with some difference As 1. By the multitude of the kinds of sin wherein they trespass And by the greatness of some of them such as have been Feasting and Musick with dancing in the night which I account Revelling Gal. 5. 20 21. 1. Pet. 4 3. and one Frolick in the presence of five Non-conforming Ministers part of them having a hand in it And by persevering in some sins adding one trespass to another without taking care and using diligence to cease from such practises And by trespassing in the presence of irreligious persons as it were publishing their naughtiness in Gaâ—h and Askelon without shame or fear so giving occasion to laugh and scoff at them in secret and to think and speak evil of the holy servants and right wayes of the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 14. Ezek. â—6 20 23. Rom. 2. 24. and to harden their hearts against his holy word O how much as it were air water earth wood dust dirt dung and filth some Professors have within them which doth issue forth in their conversings 2. By the foul and base work which sin makes For by it we do transgress a most holy just and good Law trespass against the Kingdom and Authority of the most high God pollute his holy name which we ought to sanctifie Mat. 6. 9. defiâ—e his image as it were by casting dung dirt or dust upon it grieve his holy and good spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. Who is our all-sufficient Teacher and guide John 16. 3. by whom also we are sealed unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. and disgrace the Gospel of Christ and the right wayes of the Lord yea Professors thereby do in a special manner pollute Gods name and discredit the true Religion and every one of us Professors disgrace that way in Religion the credit whereof ought to be very dear to him because he esteems it the best and most excellent of all ways 3. By the many benefits which our most gracious God hath been and is still pleased to bestow upon us For by them he obligeth and as it were hireth us to serve and obey him universally according to his word and the more plentifully he extends his goodness to us in giving us blessings of any sort and the more excellent or necessary the blessings be which he vouchsafeth to bestow on us the greater and stronger is the engagement God's goodness calls on us to fear God and leads us to amendment of life Psal 130. 4. Rom. 2. 4. and consequently â—ggravates the iniquity of our disobedience so we are to underâ—â—â—nd â—â—r 9. 13 14. Quest But what are these benefits For none of us all do remember them so frequently and weigh them so exactly as we ought Answ They are 1. Life Food Raiment Harbour Physick Surgery Liberty and Peace of the Body Health Strength and Nimbleness of the body the good state and use of our Limbs and Senses inward and outward Books and writings of many sorts the faculties of the soul understandiâ—â—â— memory invention conscience power to will humane wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arts and Sciences worldly wealth 2. The holy Scriptures godly Sermons Expositions of the Scriptures and other godly Books Gods promises and threatnings rebukes and checks by the conscience and men Ministers or not Ministers Psal 141. â—â— the company and good examples of godly persons and conference with them their love and prayers with us and for us Exercises and Meetings the Sacraments and all the holy Ordinances the knowledge of spiritual things of things belonging to our Peace and the right manner of Gods service of God and our selves a conscience awakened the fatherly love of God our Adoption Justification and pardons Es 55. 7 our being members of Christs Mystical body and Heirs of Heaven our sorrow for sin and stock of Grace Faith Hope love toward God love toward men godly and ungodly friends and enemies filial fear of God Humility Zeal c. our spiritual strength Jesus Christ dwelling in us by faith Eph. 3. 17. and the holy spirit of God dwelling in us to teach us and to guide and rule all the 〈◊〉 of our souls all the days of our Pilgrimage and spiritual warfare Note 1. Of the aforesaid good things some God gives to men of all sorts Mat. 5. 45. Luke 6. 35. some are peculiar to true believers 2. But whosoever is partaker of Gods goodness in good things of any sort the iniquity of his disobedience is thereby exaggerated according to the measure of the bounty 3. The fuller and clearer any mans light is as to the discerning of spiritual things by so much the greater is his iniquity if he doth not make such use as he ought of his Light 4. If a Professor who hath no grace doth think he hath some and that he is justified from all his sins and that God is his Father and the like I believe this his conceit doth aggravate his sins 5. By all the means of grace and amendment of life and obedience And such as are all the benefits blessings and good things which God gives us Acts 17. 25. But the destruction and vengeance from the Almighty
hindred by loitering and idleness 10. Some such Ministers it may be do look on the business of meddling with Professors sins as like the taking of a shrewd Dog by the ears Prov. 26. 17. or worse some peradventure fear the issue of displeasing them carnally however it cometh to pâ—ss they do not speak unto those Professors with whom they have fellowship concerning their sins so particâ—larly plainly home pressingly and faithfully as they ought to speâ—k Prov. 20. 6. One Non-conforming Minister in hâ—s Sermon at Bristow speaks of naked breasts It may be desiring to have what he spake applied against other devil taught fashions not knowing that naked breasts did take notes of Sermons Another in his Sermon speaks of sins under the name of the devils Dainties yet names no sin at all in particular but oppression Why did he not leave out that also and particularize the worshipping of stocks and stones only that all who heard him might be the more confident he did not mean any of â—heir siâ—s One in his Sermon saith of Hair that if it be any thing or ever so little longer than the Scripture allows of it is a sin Undeâ—standing men might speak more than this c. 1 Cor. 11. 14. Anâ—her in his Sermon saith This Dispensation calls on us to be more spiritual and heavenly I woulâ— have a Preacher trust in God and cry with the throat if he be able to lift up his voice like a Trumpet and to shew those who have gotten the name of Phanaticks their sins and transgressions and that plainly c. I would have him say Brethren and Sisters it is high â—ime for us to reform our conversation universally without any exception or limitation without any so far and so far to change very much of our behavâ—our 2. This dispensation cries unto us to be less carnal and less sensual and less earthly minded to be spiritually minded and more tractable to throw away with a holy abhorrency and detestation our covetousness and worldliness our immoderate sparing our excessive spending our voluptuousness and love of pleasure and ease our pride ostentation ambition vanity vain glory envy curiosity fashionmonging carnal mirth and jollity foolish vain idle and frothy communication bitter and unseemly jests frolicks and boyish toying â—nd the despising of our heavenly Father's chastenings Prov. 3. 11. Numb 12. 14 15. naming the sins of Professors punctually I would have a Preacher do more than all this R. 3. Thirdly whereas that which most of us look on as the forest of our afflictions is not payments of money for the use of our King c. but want of liberty and peace and of a well-grounded assurance of liberty and peace Aâ—e we without these because we ask them not No undâ—ubâ—edly we have prayed for liberty and peace oft and it may be some of us for an assurance of it And to whom would our liberty and peace be beâ—eficiâ—l To us or to others Ye will say to us and some of you that it would be so in regard of our bodies purses and souls Some of you also will peradventure be ready to add that of the rest to some it would be a pecuâ—â—iary loss and to two or three an eye-sore an ear-sore and a heart-sore even vexation of spirit Which if it be true as I think it is whose sins then think you have deprived 〈◊〉 of our liberty and peace and kept it so long from us Our own sins to whom it would be a considerable part of our happiness or theirs to whom it would be no gain at all and to some among them a purse-loss and to some grief of mind can any think the sins of others or the sins of the Nation in general Vâ—rily what shift some men of much wit may make to entertain a foolish conceit I know notâ— but for my own part I cannot hold back my mind from attributing our want of liberty and peace to our own sins to whom it would be a great favour and benefit rather than to the sins of Heathens Mahometans Jews or Papists or of the whole Nation or of any part of the Nation other than our selves because it would be unprofitable to them 6. Now for the sixt Point What have we done to better our estates or to obtain of God to better them A. We have not rebelled insurrected or seditioned with Venner We have kept up our forms of Godliness prayed by Families and Members of divâ—rs Families jointly and many of us apart secretly prayed with Fasting praâ—ed all our prayers put together very many prayers some of us very elegant fine and dainty prayers too ornate trim curious quaint and fine prayers as if they had been petitioning the Emperor Julius Caesar 1 Cor. 2. 1 2 3 13. and many of us some of mean parts have uttered long prayers and some have prayed too long prayers too long for Courts of earthly Princes as if they hoped to overcome the infinitely wise God with their verbosity and much tal◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. 5. 1 2 3. Mat. 6. 7 8. v. 9 10 11 12 13. or as if â—â—ey did lengthen and stretch out their prayers to make the younger sort and servants weary of Religion before they know what it is Mat. 23. 14. Mar. 12. 4. Luke 20. 47. Eccl. 7. 14. We have used some other holy Ordinances we have Preached prayed and fasted eight or nine hours together it may be bowing down our heads as Bulrushes Isa 58. 5. We have prayed to him who is All-sufficient Gen. 17. 1. and in whose hand all mens hearts are Prov. 21. 1. And what have we asked of him Liberty and freedom from Troubles and an end of this time of Satans great wrath c. And for our Rulers we have asked heavenly wisdom to take the best course that can be taken for their spiritual welfare and everlasting felicity And some of us it may be have added somâ—thing â—o their forms of Godliness prayed somewhat oftner But as for the visible reforming of our wayes according to the word of God that our sins may not hindâ—r our prayers I cannot say I know That a considerable number of us have in that way shewn themselves duly sensible of their own and their brethrens sufferings and dangâ—rs and sins or that our conference or talking when we meet together is much bettered 7. For the seventh Point As Fishermen use to draw up their nets and fishing-hooks to see whether they have caught any Fish and if need be to amend the meashes of their Nets and to bâ— it their Fishing-hooks with fresh worms c. So we ought to considâ—r the issue and events of the Middesses which we have used for the bettering of our estates and for one of the events the return of our Prayers what we have gained by them that if there be cause we may use the best dilig ence we can to amend our prayers Now as to this particular it may be we have prevailed in some
chastised thee Lev. 26. 40 41. Lam. 3. 41. to 47. and to humble thy self under his mighty and correcting hand for them and as thou canst for thy unknown sins also Jam. 4. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 6 10. Psal 19. 12. not too easily contenting thy self with any measure of sorrow for thy sins yet not grieving so as to disable thy self for any service or business of any sort For sometimes men are not quickly cleansed from their iniquities as those Josh 22. 17. no nor duly contrite and humbled for them as those Jer. 44. 10. And I fear this is the case of many of us Professors even in this perillous time and that many of us do not well understand our sins of common life 7. Accept of the punishment of thine iniquity Lev. 26. 41. and that with the whole heart thy mouth and heart really yielding and acknowledging that our God hath punished thee O far less than thy iniquities deserve Ezr. 9. 13. 8. And forsake and cease from all thy sins resolve throughly to strive seriously against them all not excepting so much as one of them no not the least and most profitable of them And do this with a holy hatred and detestation of them hating them for God because they be enemies to him saying in thy heart Get ye hence ye enemies of my God get ye hence Es 30. 32. Mat. 4. 10. And having once cast away thy sins sin no more lest worse things come unto thee John 5. 4. but walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord uprightly and blamless and among other duties 1. Be really thankful to him who is the Fountain of all good things for extending his goodness to thee and the rest of his people in such and such matters giving him hearty and humble thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Col. 3. 15. Eph. 5. 20. especially for thy and their liberty and peace 2. Let the love of Christ constrain thee to love him because he dyed for thee for that very end 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. To the uttermost of thy abilities promote his interest and for his sake his peoples happiness by doing him and them as many good services as thou canst 3. Mispend not time but redeem time for Gods service and the soul because the dayes be evil Eph. 5. 17. 4. Take heed to thy wayes that thou sin not with thy tongue Psal 39. 1. Psal 34. 11 12 13. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Jam. 1. 26. 5 Take due care to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. 6. Also remember thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy man-servant and thy maid-servant and thy stranger that is within thy gates Exod. 20. 10. yea not only on the Sabbath day but generally at all times to use thy diligence that thy Family may be as a little Church of Christ as Philemons was Phil. ver 1. 2. I have specifyed these duties because so many Professors do so much neglect them It will be thy wisdom to follow all this good counsel For the LORD God is a Sun and shield to them that walk uprightly he will give them grace and glory he will withhold no good thing from them Psal 4. 11. Prov. 16. 17. 9. Learn of God to commit and leave thy self to him as the righous and wise Judge of all the Earth to do with thee what he pleaseth and particularly to better thy estate when and in what measure he pleaseth Psal 10. 14. Phil. 4. 11. But remember and study thy own weakness that thou art not sufficient of thy self to do any thing well as of thy self without Christ John 15 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Therefore stir up thy self to take hold of Christ Es 64. 6 7. as the strength of the LORD Es 27. 4. 5. Even on our Lord Jesus Christ who is mighty to save even able to save unto the uttermost all them who came unto God by him Es 63. 1. Heb. 7. 25. Psal 89. 19. Phil. 4. 13. The want of this hinders the profiting of Professors very much 10. Also humble thy self daily for thy infirmities and daily failings 11. Also give all diligence to make thy Calling and Election sure and that all thy graces especially thy Faith and Patience may be encreased 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7 10. 3. 17 18. 1 Pet 5. 9 10. Rom. 5. 2 3 4. Jam. 1. 3 4. 12. Be sure to consider seriously every one of you in particular wherein he or she can do God or his people service and resolve with a strong resolution if it shall please him to put an end to your Adversity with his gracious and blessed assistance to serve him and them accordingly 13. Lastly at all times even whilst thou art doing these things and when thou hast done them all and done much for God and his people depend not on any thing which thou hast done as if thou hadst thereby or therewith made satisfaction in any measure to Gods justice for thy sins or any of them or merited any good thing at his hands but relie for thy justification and acceptance with God and everlasting salvation on the Lord Jesus Christ and the free grace of God in and through him admiring his free grace Qu. But what ought those Professors to do who know think or doubt they be not born again Answ That which is most proper for them to do is to exercise themselves constantly in the word of Truth waiting for the gracious operation of the holy Spirit in and on their souls to beget them again or else to shew them Christ already formed in their souls Joh. 14. 16 17. Gal. 4. 19. But withal they ought to follow the good counsel before rehearsed and all Professors when cause is to do what many Professors very seldom or never do viz. to ask the advice of able and godly Professors especially Ministers and not to keep the devils counsel not to secret matters according to his counsel Note If God in chastizing any of us doth aim at any of the ends which I have before mentioned and through weakness of memory or otherwise have not reached to it in the precedent instructions or any other end which I have not mentioned I pray you hear the rod and him who hath appointed it yielding to him concerning it let that be done which he shooteth at in chastizing thee If thou desirest to know more medicines which it behoveth thee to use for the bettering of thy estate 1. Enquire and consider frequently whether thou hast any true grace or not what thou hast in thy heart which a meer Formalist cannot have 2. Consider and study as exactly and wisely as thou canst thy own sins and what thou hast deserved at Gods hands by them taking heed that thou think not too ill of other folks sins as of the Professors and other inhabitants of London Southwark Norwich Colchester Portsmouth as if they were sinners above others worse sinners than others Take heed of
striking us who knows For I know not but this I know that it would be wisdom in us to encrease the number of our Intercessors lest there should be too few of them as there were too few righteous persons in Sodom to keep it from destruction 9. But God did help Professors when Professors were as poorly reformed as Professors be now A. That I know not but this I know that if Professors now be not more reformed than they were in 1640. and 1641. then our iniquity is greatened by Gods waiting and by the cords of love and whips of correction and by the good preaching which he hath bestowed upon us and so greater than the iniquity of Professors in those years was And wouldest thou have the great God who formed the spirit of man within him and before whom all Nations are as nothing wouldst thou have him stoop again to thee who art but dust and ashes and it may be a great sinner Beware of stinking pride and of stubbornness which is as Idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. 10. But Isa 59. 16. When there was no Intercessor then A. What then Take heed of misconstruing and abusing this and other Scriptures to thy own hurt and the hurt of the Church of God The words are meant not of men who should intercede with God for his pleople but of men who should stand up and bestir themselves to bring things to a better order men of which sort we now want ver 4. And if they were to be understood otherwise yet it would be a very base part in us not to reform our doings and a foolish part without that to trust to God for the bettering of our Estate when we have no promise of it Obj. But God hath said he will never leave us nor forsake us Heb. 13. 5. and that all things do work together for good to them who love God Rom. 8. 28. A. See that thou be such a one indeed But if God hath given thee a new spirit yet thou maist suffer much it may be more than thou art willing to suffer before thy afflictions prove beneficial to thee and God saith that if he shall speak concerning a Nation to build and â—â—â—lant it that if it shall do evil in his sight and not obey his voice that then he will repent of the good wherewith he said he would benefit them Jer. 18. 7 8 9 10. 11. But some peradventure will tell me of the Resurrection of the two witnesses Rev. 11. 11. of the fall of Babylon Rev. 14. 8. of the fifth Monarchy Dan. 2. 34 35 c. of Alsteds Northern Empire or Monarchy which God he saith will set up in the North by the Northern Lion 2 Esd 11. 37. c. and 21. 1. to 32. c. of the new Jerusalem of Alsteds melius seculum the 1000 years c. and O how happy shall the Saints be in those days A. The Greek word Rev. 11. 7. signifies to finish fill up consummate perfect and I dare not peremptorily affirm that our Ministers have finished and persected their testimony till they have witnessed against Professors especially those of their own way in another gates manner than many of us yet have done 2. According to Alsted the three years and a half will end and the 1000 years begin in 1694. 3. Beside whom Learned Mayer is one who doth not interpret the three Greek Letters wherewith the 14 chap. of the Revelation is ended 666. as the year of the fall of Babylon but to signifie who the Antichrist is 4. Howsoever I would have thee to fear as our last Translators have translated 2 Sam. 5. 8. that the blind and the lame shall not come into the house and to be prepared as the holy City as a Bride adorned for her Huâ—band Rev. 21. 2. and not to content thy self with Horace's one or two fair and far-shining patches of purple nor to continue blind or lame enough to be kept out of the new Jerusalem by the Angel-Porters which it may be would be grievous to thy spirit 5. I would also have thee consider that if there shall be any general exaltation of the best Christians before the descending of the New Jerusalem yet thou maist come short of it and that if thou shalt be equal to others in worldly things yet God is able to send thee such sauce with them as may make them bitter enough to thee till thou hast cast away thy Pride and the rest of thy sins as a menstrous-cloth and said unto them get ye hence Es 30. 22 23. c. Gods dealings withus are to me as if I heard him say how muchsoever I have hitherto spared you I will no longer content my self with halving and half turns with an overby slight or partial Reformation I will have you neither go backward nor stand at a stay but go forward and reform universally Sin no more therefore lest worse things come unto you John 5. 14. Ob. One or two peradventure will be so humble and open-hearted as to say but alas Sir I cannot reform my heart and inside to the height A. Like enough if thou be a new creature For a poor man doth ever and anon almost daily find somewhat wanting in his house and so doth he who is poor in spirit in his soul Mat. 5. 3. Howsoever reform the outside the Apparel and called ornaments of thy body and thy outward conversation and do whatsoever thou canst to thy inward man and contribute what thou art able to the Reformation of others especially of thy own Family 1 Tim. 5. 8. and pray unto him who made thy heart to reform thy heart and to prosper thy godly enterprizes c. But Friends many of us have much pride they are too high minded and too jolly jocund and jovial to be of great power with God and to be exalted I beseech and exhort you therefore by the Lord Jesus cast away your pride and carnal jovialty and meâ—riments Jam. 4. 9. For if we do not humble our selves very low voluntarily I fear we shall be brought very low by compulsion 1. Now it is your duty to humble your selves and to be humble even clothed with humility and to walk humbly with God and men Mic. 6. 8. Jam. 4. 10. Eph. 4. 2. Col. 3. 12. 1 Pet. 5. 5 6. Phil. 2. 3. 2. Humility is taught us also by the practise and examples of Abraham the Father of the faithful Gen. 18. 22. Moses the servant of the Lord Num. 12. 3. Aaron the Saint of the Lord Lev. 10. 3. David a man after Gods own heart Psal 131. 1 2. Asaph Psal 73. 22. Agur Prov. 30 2 3. John Baptist Mat. 3. 4 14. John 1. 27. the Centurion Mat. 8. 5. to 13. the Canaanitish woman Mat. 15. 22. c. the twenty four Elders Rev. 4 10 11. and 19. 4. yea of the Lord and Prince of life our Lord Jesus Christ Zech. 9. 9. Mat. 11. 29. 21. 5. John 13. 4 5 6.
of things indifferent apparel and ornaments of the body conformity to the world appearances of evil things lovely and of good report and peradventure of the doctrine of sanctifying the Sabbath and the use of the Tongue which yet may be gathered up and understood in and by these Scriptures Isa 3. 18. c. 1 Cor. 11. 14. 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. 1 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Thes 5. 22. Phil. 4. 8 9. Exra 20. 8. c. Isa 58. 13 14. Mat. 12 36 37. 1 Cor. 6. 10. Eph. 4. 25 29 30 31. Jam. 1. 26. Rom. 14. 15. concerning which things very many Professors and some Ministers are faulty 2 Let this small company draw to some extraordinary Meetings as many as they can of those with whom any of them use to hold ornary Meetings whether in their judgment as a Church or not and if they judge it convenient some others also At which extraordinary Meetings let some of them declare and publish that notice is taken of the carriage of many Professors that it is not such as it ought to be and that ye who are Ministers have resolved to endeavour that those things which are amiss may be amended and that they do earnestly desire and request all that are present to contribute what they can every one of them to the reformation of Professors especially of those of his or her own society Whereto let one of you add an Exhortation perswading all that are present as vigorously and effectually as he shall be able so to do After which Exhortation and a prayer suitable to it let all that are present mutually promise and engage as before the most high God one to another every one of them to all the rest to watch over one another and to take care one of anothers spiritual estate dealing one with another concerning it faithfully and in particular to mind one another of sins and duties committed or omitted or to be done as they shall apprehend to be their duty as also to take admonitions and reproofs well in worth and in good part one from another All this may be signified by lifting up the hand or by any other sign convenient Also at this Meeting ye may do well to warn all the company to amend their wayes to the uttermost of their knowledge and abilities and to let them know that they may expect to have their sins handled and spoken of hereafter as there is or shall be just causes both at Meetings and privately but in a fit manner and as shall be expedient for the credit of the persons admonished and that if the Ministers shall understand that any of them be resolved and do begin to endeavour to amend any fault that thenceforth they be not to expect any reproof for that fault 3. When there is any real Reformation of any Family or person let hearty thanks be fittingly given by many with true spiritual joy and gladness in their hearts to God who gives the encrease to the planters and waterers 1 Cor. 3. 5 6 7. Luke 15. 3. Act. 8. 8. And let the success encourage you to go forward with the good work which ye have in hand chearfully And now I beseech all Professors to enter upon this necessary business of reforming forthwith without any procrastination or delay Numb 16. 46 47 48. and to do every part of it as all works of Religion and all we do for God ought to be done seriously and diligently and in the fear of God away with all trifling and not to neglect it till ye have compleated every one his and her part of it For ye know not how soon a prison-house or fear of it or the grave may hinder you Eccl. 9. 10. Zech. 1. 5. As for these and the rest of my Instructions ye may for many of you are able amend them and add to them and hold them forth to others in a more winning manner than I have done unto the exaltation of our great Master Jesus Christ and the benefit of his people but I pray you give me not cause by your ill dealing with him and them to mourn in secret for your luke-warmness and unfaithfulness and for the evils which may come to you and yours For if my counsel be evil in your eyes I shall look on your not hearkening to it to do your duty for God and his Church as a sign of more wrath But I hope good things will be done by very many of you even things tending to a great and blessed reformation though I thus speak I come now in the last place to speak somewhat more of reproving and the like as one of the Middesses of reforming and although in some cases we be bound to reprove them who are not called Professors yet my business at this time being the amendment of Professors I shall content my self with this that Professors ought to reprove Professors for their sins And this I find to be the duty of Ministers and Preachers 2 Tim. 4. 2. and of them and other Professors Lev. 19. 17. Mat. 18. 15. R. And this thou who art a Professor oughtest to do 1. For the sake of God To keep thy fellow Professors from polluting his holy Name and from grieving his good Spirit and from disgracing his holy Gospel Gal. 6. 10. Eccl. 9. 10. Tit. 2. 5 10. 2. For the good of the Offenders To convert them from the errors of their waies to hide their sins and so to save their souls from everlasting death Jam. 5. 20. If they be already in the state of salvation which all Professors are not yet this is the way to better their spiritual estate in respect of their faith assurance peace with God peace with their own consciences spiritual joy and comfort and encouragement Rom. 14. 17. It is the way if I may so speak to keep God from looking on them as his enemies and from wounding their very heads Ps 68. 21. It is a good way indeed to encrease their happiness in all respects Psal 84. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 8. 3. For the benefit of the Church of God For the more sinless and pure of life any man is 1. The better and more holily he can pray and the more prevalent his prayers will be with God and consequently the more good he can do to and for God's people with and by his prayers Jam. 5. 15 16. 2. The more exemplary his behaviour is the more forcible and effectual it will be to win others to amend their behaviour Mat. 5. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 12. and 3. 1 2. 3. He is likely to be the more beneficial to Christ's party divers other wayes which I will leave to your Meditations 4. It will also be beneficial to thee who art the Reprover 1. Thou hast â—â—ne thy duty and discharged a good conscience and that is not a very small matter Psal 119. 55 56. Act. 24. 16. 2 Cor. 10. 12. 2. To thee shall be delight and a blessing of good