now in the second place To a more distinct and particular resolution of the question Quest When and in what Cases Anger and passion in the Saints is to be adjudged as sanctified zeal a pure flame of divine love Answ For Resolution of this query I shall give you four or five Notes or Rules and very briefly for to guide your judgments in this particular First I must tell you First Rule thus much that every warm and keen expression whether by way of reproof or Caution is not to be accounted anger and passion A man may speak earnestly and vehemently in the calmest temper of his spirit some matter requires a greater Emphasis to set it on then other it is the skill and wisdom of an Oratour to edge and accent his discourse with a due pondus He should be but a dull speaker that should deliver matter of weight in the same key and tone as if he were but dictating to his Scholars or reading a lecture And yet this is the common mistake of the injudicious multitude to interpret every impetuous and pathetical posture of the preacher especially when the matter lieth cross to corrupt nature for anger and intemperancy of spirit Observe it and you will find that 〈…〉 express a great deal of rancor and venom in a slie and calm phrase Meekness passion may dwell in the same though a man may be passional yet of a meek spirit So was Moses so on the other side sincerity may be accompanied with much meekness and love in a keener and sharper stile But secondly When the vehemency of a mans spirit is acted against sin then it is not to be accompted passion so much as zeal It is the Apostles rule Be ye angry and sin not q. d. If ye would not sin in your anger Second Rule Eph. 4 26. be angry onely against sin It is sin which teacheth men to call it anger when it self is reproved for this is the deceit do but call the reproof passion and malice and then men think they need not regard it the guilt is translated upon the reprover and the delinquent is justified What judgement would the tame spirits of our times have passed upon that act of Phineas in that severe execution done upon those impudent adulterers Nemb 25.7 8. Zimri and 〈…〉 in that generation How would they have sentenced it to the pit of hell as an act of furious cruelty What to execute before trial To make himself both witness judge executioner An that in the very act of sin thereby cutting them off from the hope or possibility of repentance in humane probability he destroyed both body and Soul at once passion above all hyperbolie I but the Searcher of hearts the Righteous Judge of Heaven and earth He calleth it zeal Numb 25.11 12 13. an act of justice whereby Phineas prevented the execution of divine justice upon the whole Congregation and for a reward whereof God entails upon Phineis and his seed the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood Thirdly When anger is sharpened against errour and blasphemy it is not to be reputed choler and passion Brethren what think ye can a man indeed be guilty of passion against the horrid opinions and heresies which subvert the very foundation or can there be an Excesse in that passion can a man be bitter against drunkennesse and whoredome or can a man be guilty of railing against damnable Doctrines Scepticisme 2 Pet. 2.1 Arianisme denying the Lord that * Bought them in sensu Ecclesiastico or bought them in their own perswasion bought them Antiscripturisme Quakerisme Atheisme what not Did ye never read the Epistles of Saint Paul Saint Peter Saint Jude oh how do they sharpen their style against false Teachers and seducers branding them wih the highest ignominies that can drop from an inspired pen Dogges Phil. 3.2 Wolves Evill-workers Wells without water Clouds carried about with a tempest 2 Pet. 2. per tot Jude per tot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Full of the whore to whom is reserved the myst of darknesse for ever presumptuous railers bruit beasts having eyes full of adultery covetous cursed children raging waves wandring starres to whom is reserved the blacknesse of darknesse for ever Cains Balaams Cores filthy dreamers murmurers Complainers sensual Separatists who pretend to the spirit but have it not These and many like are the Marks which the meek spirit of God sets upon these Cains which if a Minister of the Gospel should but so much as repeat in reference to the disseminators of the very self-same cursed principles practises in our times they should be reviled well nigh Curst and stoned to death as men of bitter virulent spirits the multitude of Sectaries would tear off their clothes and cast dust into the aire and lift up their voices and cry out as the enraged Jewes against Panl Away with such a fellow Acts 22.22 23. 1 Cor. 4.3 it is not fit he should live But brethren it is a small thing for us to be judged by mans judgement The Meek Apostle by the meek Spirit of God Tit. 1 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath commanded us to rebuke them sharply cuttingly a metaphor borrowed from Chirurgions who cut and search and lance and apply corrasives Ne pars sinceratrahatur that they may eat out the dead and putrified flesh that the whole body may not perish This is not to kill but to save not to wound but to Cure that they may be sound in the faith The meeknesse the love the mercy the gentlenesse lieth in the tendency of such bitter Corrosives In this case tendernesse in the Mediums would be cruelty in the End Levit. 19.17 Fourth Rule hatred and not love Fourthly Anger is no longer Anger but zeal when it is in the cause of God for his glory this rule differs not from the former in substance but in notion only as somewhat more general Gal. 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing always the word signifies to be red hot to be boyling over this is a temper becoming the servants the work of a jealous God It is good when every passion is made to serve the interest of Christ We should be cold in our own Cause but hot in Gods Zeal in our own concerns is passion passion in Gods affaires is zeal The temper of meek Moses Num. 12.1 who was silent in his own reproach though by a Brother and a Sister and therefore lesse portable Psal 55.12 or if he spake it was in prayer for them verse 13. not in passion against them And this was the temper of our dear brother I dare appeal even to his Adversaries was not his anger against sin Against errour and false doctrine of which he met with too much in every place Was it not whether in publick or private in the Cause of
ELIAH'S ABATEMENT Or CORRUPTION IN THE SAINTS Discovered and distinguished in a Sermon Preached at Chatham in KENT At the Funeral of that Faithful Minister of the Gospel Mr. GUALTER ROSWELL M. A. Late Preacher there By THO. CASE M. A. and Rector of Giles in the Fields LONDON Printed by E. T. for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his shop at the sign of the Parrat in Pauls Church-yard 1658. To his much honoured FRIENDS CHARLES BOWLS Esq High Sheriff of Kent PETER PETT Esq one of the Commissioners of the Navie RICH. ISACKSON Esq Capt. PHINEAS PETT His Loving and Respected NEPHEW Capt. JOHN PILGRIM With the rest of the Inhabitants of Chatham in Kent Worthy and well-beloved Friends THE death of a faithfull Minister the Gospel is no small losse unto a people especially when the spirit of errour and seduction is gone out into the world It is like the taking off a Shepherd from his Flock when the Wolves are abroad or the Hen from her Chickens when the birds of prey are upon the wing It is like the removing of a Watch-man from his Watch-Tower when the enemy is upon his march a skilful Pilot from the Helm or the Helm from the Ship in the midst of a tempestuous and a fluctuating Sea like the slaughter of a General in the head of his Army when the Enemy is ready to Charge Surely none of these are of more fatal influence in the affairs of the worldly state then the other of the Evangelical In such a juncture of time hath God taken away from your head that Precious and Worthy Servant of His your late Reverend and Faithful Pastor Mr. GUALTER ROSWELL whose eminent abilities unwearied labours in publick and in private impartial fidelity and compassionate spirit over perishing sinners and in a word his great integrity in all his ministerial out-goings before you I humbly conceive there are none among you but will thankfully acknowledge unless such possibly whom either erroneous principles or loose practises occasioned to look upon him as their * Gal. 4.16 An expectas ut Quintilianus ametur Enemy That this Lot may not be of so fatal consequence unto you accept I beseech you a few Advices from him that loveth you In the first place Ad ∣ vice 1 Be deeply sensible of your Loss Truly your Loss is great and unsensibleness will be the aggravation of it while your loss is but your affliction unsensiblenesse will be your sin A sin which God severely animadverts though it do but relate to Saints of a more private station The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come Isa 57.1 This Jer. 22.15 16. 2 Chron. 34.3.35.23 24. some restrain to the person of JOSIAS That righteous and merciful Prince but the words seem more general being taken collectively as Ps 11.5 And without question MANY godly ones of that age were taken away by a premature death and that in a judicial severity to the surviving generation of the profane hypocritical Israelites who in the mean time gave themselves to security letting themselves loose to all sensual excesses And that as it were under the protection of divine patience taking Gods silence for Gods consent and his long-suffering towards them as an infallible evidence of his approbation of their wickednesses Now if it were such a sin to over-look Providence in the death of righteous and merciful men what an aggravation of guilt is it to be blind to the severer dispensations of justice in the untimely death of righteous and merciful Ministers whose lives are of a more publick and Vniversal influence Surely to shut our eyes against such signal indiciums of divine displeasure is highly provoking to God and may justly bring a people or a person within the verge of that tremendous curse Because they regard not the works of the Lord Psal 28.5 nor the operation of his hands he will destroy them and not build them up Secondly Adv. 2 Lay to heart your great unthankfulness and unfruitfulness under such precious influences I am afraid while some did despise his excellent labours few did value them at a due rate While some were fruitful onely in the works of the flesh not many did answer Gods expectations Gal 5 2. in the fruits of the spirit I accuse none I caution all that while possibly you enquire into the cause of such an unexpected stroke every one may * 1 King 8.47 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If they return to their heart bethink themselves and cry with the Disciples Lord is it I Ah! Lord was my murmuring my unthankfulness my unanswerable conversation my unrighteous opposition c. the cause of this sore displeasure That which I see not Job 34.3 shew thou me and if I have done wickedly I will do so no more Thirdly Adv. 3 Seek the face of God in fasting and prayer TOGETHER and APART * Zech. 12 12. for the attoning of his favour and the recruiting of your loss Numb 2.14 Had but her Father spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven daies Said God to Moses concerning his murmuring Sister Dear Christians God hath done more then spit in your face Hos 6.13 Bern. told his brother A rough hewen souldier slighting his reproofes pointing to his side One day a Spear shall make way to thine heart for counsel to enter in this sad dispensation he hath smitten you and made him sick in smiting you God by this wound make way for his word to enter into your hearts You have cause to lye in the dust shame your selves in Gods presence as to deprecate with tender-hearted Josiah the wrath of God so to get your breach repaired And surely the recruit of such a loss is worth many daies of humiliation and the Lord accept of your faces in Christ I would faign have the name of Him that shall be your Minister 1 Sam. 1.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 q. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Asked or Lent of Cod. be SAMUEL Holy Hannah will expound to you the mystery She called her son Samuel and why Because said she I asked him of the Lord. This will be your comfort and your honour That when you see a faithfull Minister in your Pulpit you may be able to say This is He whom we have begged of God A mercy got by prayer is a double mercy a blessing and the return of prayer too which whatever the blessing be is twice so much Fourthly Adv. 4 And that you may prosper in your choice let me humbly begg of you to forget all your own private opinions and differences Divisions have been the sad obstructions of Englands Reformation and Settlement I am confident had it not been for our unhappy dissents and more unhappy dissentions England had been the most glorious people upon the face of the earth since
abilities both of gifts and graces for the work of his Ministerie Thirdly par 3 Elias was a father and Chief Governour of the Colledge wherein the children of the Prophet were trained up 2 King 2. Our dear Brother was though not a father yet a son of the Prophets though not the Governour yet an Alumnus in the Scools of the Prophets where he improved his time and studies to a great maturity to give him his due he was an excellent Scholar both in the Arts in the Tongues and generally verst in other kinds of learning as those that were intimately acquainted with him can bear witness He had a notable faculty in Poetry though his intention and attendance upon the Queen of all sciences and professions the study of Divinity allowed him no leasure to indulge his fancy that way as thinking it excentrick to his heavenly motion He was singularly verst as generally in the Controversies between the Papists Reformed Churches so specially in the Controversies of the times which rendred him very able quick potent to convince gain-sayers who in all their congresses with him Act. 6.10 were not able as it was said of Steven to resist the wisdom and the Spirit whereby he spake The Jesuites save that their Masters have taught them this piece of their Mystery that what they cannot cleer by argument Non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris they will darken by clamour that whatsoever the premises be they will keep the conclusion and whoever have the better yet they will cry victory In the next place Par. 4 Elijah was a powerful Prophet His very name imports it Eli-jah which signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My strong God Jehovah or the Lord in the 1 King 17.1 it is Elijahu that is the Lord He is my strong God God indeed was strong in Elijah God manifested and magnified his mighty power in Elijahs person mighty in DEED working Miracles He called down fire from Heaven 2 King 1.12 14. 1 King 17.14.15 16. once and again He multiplieth the widows oil in the cruse and the meal in the barrel as Elijahs Lord afterward multiplied the loaves and the fishes He divideth the waters of Jordan with his Mantle 2 King 2.8 The mighty power of God indeed rested on him for even the fire and water obeyed him He was mighty in WORD mighty Evidence whereof you have 1 King 18.39 whereas by one Sermon he brought back many thousands of the Idolatrous Israelites to the acknowledgement and worship of the true God a like instance of Divine power afterwards was that in the Apostle in the day of Pentecost who by one Sermon Act. 2. converted 3000 Souls Such a monument of Divine power was this holy Prophet Elijah Hence John the Baptist after him inherits his name Our Lord himself baptiseth him with it as it were This is Elias which was for to come Matth. 11.14 the exposition of which riddle so it was to the Jews with their very Rabbies also you have from the mouth of the Angel Luk. 1.17 vers 13. He shall go before Him in the Spirit and power of Elias That promise of God to the Jews Matth. 4.5 Behold I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord was not to be literally understood as the Scribes doted Matth. 17.10 as if Elias had been personally to rise again from the dead before the Revelation of the Messiah but foretold of John the Baptist that he should stand up in the Spirit and power of Elijah as the Harbenger of Jesus Christ and wherein was this power to be exerted Mark that for it is very observable Luk. Luke 16.17 vers 17. 1.16 Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God and to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just therein the Baptist was another Elias for as Elias turned back the Idolatrous Israelites to the true worship of the Lord their God so did John the Baptist Matth. 3.1 by preaching the doctrine of repentance thereby preparing them for the Ministry of Jesus Christ turn many to the Lord so it is applied in the third verse of that third Chapter of St. Matthew This is he that was spoken of by Isaias the Prophet c. Thus John the Baptist was the Successour of Elias not so much in doing miracles as in his powerful Preaching his Ministry was a powerful Ministry how did he thunder against the Pharisees Sadduces who came to his Baptism Matth 3.7 O generation Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come c. A terrible Exordium and the whole Sermon is of the same strein startling and convincing full of terrour I have not time to read it much less to run a Paraphrase upon it This gracious servant of the Lord whom we have this day followed to the Sepulchre was Successour as I may so say both to Elias and John the Baptist not as I said in working Miracles but in a powerful Ministry He was a Boanerges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Ministry was a thundring Ministry And I would to God we had more of them there is need of them Thunder they say purgeth the air and if so we have need of more such sons of thunder amongst us and not such as will preach placentia unto people sow pillows under their elbows and sing men to hell with sweet Lullabies of peace peace when there is no peace Our air is pestilentially infectious not onely in the Physicians sence who tell us that the cause of the late mortality among us yet not universally healed though blessed be the God that heareth prayers wonderfully abated was the infection of the air but in the Divines sence our spiritual Physicions who tell us our climate is mortally infected with the Pests of Heresies and Blasphemies and with the putrid stinch of all manner of poisonous lusts and this is the fatal source of all our plagues both in Church State This our precious brother was deeply sensible of and hence it was that his spirit was warmed within him to a more than ordinary degree of zeal in his Ministry that so he might be an healer in the land of his nativity in the places where he lived His Ministry was a startling an awakning convincing warming clear instructive edifying Ministry And it wanted not success through grace God set a seal to his Ministry and he saw of the travel of his soul in all the places whither Providence sent him I hope in this place there be many living monuments of the power of God in his Ministry As his preaching bare witness to God so God bare witness to his preaching in raising up a spiritual seed thereby to his elder Brother the Lord Jesus I am confident there be many here as
in other places to whom he might say 1 Cor. 9.2 The seal of my Apostleship are ye in the Lord and that may say again of him 2 Cor. 9.15 My Father my Father who drew their first spiritual breath under his Ministry Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift Fifthly Elias was faithful in standing up for the Lord even when he thought himself alone against the tide and torrent of the Apostacy of that generation which might justly wonder to see it self turned Baalist But the holy Prophet wanted neither zeal nor courage to appear 1 King 19.14 Ingemuit terrarum orbis se Arrianum invenisse As it was in Athanasius his time 1 Kings 8.22 and protest against them and their Idolatry to their very faces I say alone The prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men but I even I ALONE am a Prophet of the Lord let them therefore give us two bullocks c. His zealous spirit could not bear their halting between two opinions and therefore provokes them to the dispute before all the people the God that answeareth by fire let him be God And his courage was rival with his fidelity and zeal vers 21. He feared not the face of Ahab vers 24. though a potent and a cruel King He spares not to tell him vers 18. I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house He feared not all the false prophets of Jezabel though they had the people to back them Take the prophets of Baal vers 40. let not one of them escape What a mighty spirit of God was that upon him that he a single unarmed man should not be afraid to command and see execution to be done upon four hundred and fifty Idolatrous prophets under the wing of an Idolatrous Queen and before the very face of a wicked King Thousands of their subjects standing by who but now were so cow'd with fear that they had not a word to say for the true and living God! here was courage to a Miracle Our reverend brother had his proportion of this fidelity zeal and courage He was faithful to Jesus Christ his truths and ordinances In all the Changes that went over his head in all the Controversies of the times wherein he exercised his Ministery he he was a most strenuous Assertor of the truth and amost couragious opposer of Error and Innovation and that even while some higher then other by head shoulders in their own eyes did basely and unworthily betray their Cause Hee feared not the face of man in the Cause of Jesus Christ He durst tell the greatest person he had to do with of their faults Malleus haereticerum Anabaptists and Antinomians Arrians Quakers Antiscripturists c. upon just occasion in the worst of times He was an hammer to beat down error and blasphemy where ever it met him he could not bear with them that preach down Poedo-baptisme the Christian Sabbath Vniversities Schooles of Learning ordination and other ordinances and institutions of Jesus Christ The Apostle prophesieth to us of some and in the latter times that will not endure sound doctrine it was the zeal and fidelity of our brother that he could not endure unsound doctrine 2 Tim. 4.3 no not the lispings or likenesse of it knowing the dangerous tendency thereof False opinions do insinuate themselves by the use of dark dubious expressions and it is the policy of seducers and men of corrupt principles when they dare not speak out to shun the form of plain and wholesome words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plaistred coyned words 2 Pet. 2.3 Rev. 2.2 and hide themselves under the masks of suspitious and doubtfull phrases or feigned words as Saint Peter calls them and so by new lights and new language they do insensibly undermine the truth and introduce their loose and rotten opinions This he could not bear with seducers nor they with him so that by this means he became a man of contention 2 Pet. 2.8 his righteous soul was vexed from day to day in seeing and hearing Sixthly Paral. 6 Elias was a man of a very tender spirit tender of the glory of God I have been very jealous for the Lord of Hosts Tender of his Saints and servants and ordinances so he continueth his complaint The children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant 1 King 19.10.14 destroyed thine altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword his soul bled within him over the precious things and servants of God though he had his own life for a prey I onely am left this could not satisfie his zealous spirit Our honoured Friend now with God was a man in his degree of such another spirit He was jealous for God and for the interests of Jesus Christ they lay upon his heart with a great weight and made deep bleeding impressions His word was oft with Joshua And what wilt thou for thy great name Josh 7.9 Very tender towards the people of God his bowels wrought and melted within him towards poor perishing souls Chattam in Kent The Inhabitants of this place are his witnesses before God and man For your sakes that fear God here What offers hath he refused What affronts hath he sususteined What temptations hath he endured What opposition and reproach hath he born With what difficulties and straits hath he conflicted for many yeares together Phil. 2.30 not regarding his own life or the concernments of a numerous and necessitous family to supply your spiritual necessities He did spend and was spent he even offer'd up himself upon the sacrifice and service of your faith Verse 17. truly he was not only your Minister but even a Martyr among you What love and honour and mercy and liberality you owe unto his Name and poor Orphanfamilie left with you judge ye Surely if he sowed unto you spiritual things it is no great matter if his poor family reap your carnal things through his poverty you were made rich in the midst of your riches let not his Relicts remaine poor But to proceed Elias Paral. 7 was a mortified man He was so far from living to the world that he hardly lived in the world like his successor and anty-type John the Baptist he lived separated from the world while he was in it Matth. 3.4 choosing rather to live among bruit beasts then among bruitish men 2 King 1.8 his fare hard and his raiment course both suitable to a wildernesse not to Court or City This man of God now with God was a man dead to the world while he lived in it He was not a man of the mode his habit and diet spake a mortified frame of heart He was not given to juncating and feasting and ranting with vain and wanton persons as the manner of some is to the infinite scandal of the Gospel He sought not great things for himself nor laid about him to fether
transport them out into indecent excesses commotions of spirit to the dishonour of the Gospel and the grief of the godly Ninthly Cons 9 The more infirmity the lesse grace Tenthly Cons 10 But the more sence of infirmity the more grace To be sensible of the least corruption and to mourn over it argues a tender conscience and strength of grace A sound eye cannot endure the least mote in it nor a tender conscience the least defilement Psal 19.12 Oh purge me from my secret sins Eleventhly Cons 11 and yet this is a consideration of greater weight that Infirmities neglected may grow to dangerous diseases as we see in nature a cold neglected may grow to a burning fever a distillation from the head upon the lungs if slighted may turn to a consumption c. and so in the spirituall constitution a lesser corruption not timely resisted and mortified may grow to be an head-strong lust which in the very godly shall keep grace at an under and make the Christian go halting to his grave It is good to deal with our infirmities betimes Obsta principiis Twelfthly And lastly Cons 12 to be sure spiritual infirmities may bring temporal judgements upon the Saints Moses his passion Num. 20.12 made him fall short of the promised land Davids surprize into murder and adultery entails the sword upon him and his family to all generations 1 Sam. 12.10 Luk. 1.20 Zechariah his unbelief strikes him dumb for a season Eli his indulgence to his Sons 1 Sam. 3.13 Cum ch 4.18 betrayes the Ark into the enemies hand and then breaks his own neck Davids pride in a numerous people 2 Sam. 24.15 costs him the lives of 70 thousand subjects And Hezekiah his unthankfulness brought wrath upon himself and all Israel 2 Chr. 32.25 This is a startling consideration 1 Thes 1.10 Strong infirmities may bring strong afflictions that though the Lord Jesus hath delivered his Redeemed from wrath to come yet their very infirmities may lay them and their families under the bitter fruits of Gods righteous displeasure in this life God THEREBY vindicating his own impartiality his hatred against sin his unchangeable love to his people in chastening them here that they may not be condemned with the world And thus much for the first Caution I shall adde a few more very briefly Secondly Caut. 2 Be tender to your brethrens infirmities to the Saints but severe to your own this argues an excellent spirit when a Christian aggravateth his own failings but extenuates other mens when he maketh complaints against himself but apologies for his brethren Rom 7.24 I am a wretch sold under sin saith the Apostle of himself But as to other believers Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would It is the very same apology which our Lord Jesus made for his sleepy disciples in the garden the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak True Saints have apologies for others when they have none for themselves they can justify others while they judge themselves the greatest fault they find is with their own hearts A true child of God is made up of Passion and Compassion passion against himself and Compassion towards his brethren they condemn that in themselves which they can excuse in another yet not so as to suffer sin upon their brethren Consciousnesse to our own Corruptions Gal. 6.1 should make us tender of our brethren but our love to the souls of our brethren should make us faithfull to them A carelesse passing by an offending brother Levit. 19.17 is our sin not our love and hatred not compassion we should bear with one anothers infirmities yet so as to be healers physitians to their soul distempers not accessories It is a sin to speak of our brethren but it is our duty to speak unto them Heb. 3.13 It is a blessed thing to be of an healing and a restoring spirit Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin The Lord restore this spirit to his people in England or else we are like water spilt on the ground that can never be gathered up again Thirdly Caut. 3 When you begin to be proud mind your infirmities when your parts or graces lift up your spirits think of your Corruptions and say thus to your selves What have I within me an hard heart and shall I be proud an earthly heart and shall I be elated a lustfull heart and shall I be puffed up what shall I be covetous and proud passionate and proud poor in respect of grace and proud unable to mortify any corruption to stand before any temptation to perform any holy duty shall I be proud especially this consideration added nothing is mine own but my corruptions my parts graces are Gods concerning which I may say as the young Prophet of his Axes head alas for they are but borrowed What have I that I have not received and if received why do I glory To be proud of that which is none of our own is folly but to be proud of that which is Gods is sacriledge If therefore the sence of Grace at any time lift you up let the sence of corruption pull you down There is infinitely more in corruption to humble then there is in grace to elate and lift up the spirit Fourthly Caut. 4 Strive against your infirmities to the very death Object It may be a poor dejected soul may reply I have striven but I cannot prevaile corruption rather gets ground of me then I of corruption Answ To this complaint besides what I said before I reply two things 1. Strive still for consider if corruption lose no ground notwithstanding all thy wrestlings and conflicts what will it do if thou givest over striving if a man that rowes against the tide get no ground with plying his Oars how will he be carried down the stream if he strike not a stroke This thou must resolve on either to overcome thy infirmities or to be overcome by them Oh do not throw away thy weapons die not like a fool with thy hands bound It is a kind of victory on this fide the grave not to be driven out of the field De gemi pugnare to die fighting 2. If thy infirmities be too strong for thee Carry them to the cross of Christ remember Victory must be fetcht out of Christs blood This Crown is reserved for the head of Christ the King of Saints Victory is purchased and Christ hath overcome already in his own person there is * Phil. 3.10 Gal. 6.14 Eph. 1.2 power in the death of Christ as well as merit And he that hath overcome for thee on the Cross will overcome in thee by his spirit because greater is he that is in