a Spirit of Meekness towards men Besides If we do not treat our Brother with a Spirit of Meekness but with biting Scoffs and Revilings we are not good men for our Carriage towards them contradicts our Prayers to God We pray that God Would lead into the way of Truth all such as have erred and are deceived We pray that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of Truth and hold the Faith in Vnity of Spirit and in the bond of Peace And if we treat those ill that have erred and are returned to the Church where 't is to be hoped they will be convinced of their Errors It is a sign that we never were devout in those prayers for we seem discontented that God hath heard them I heartily wish that those men who are so apt to reviling would consider what the Apostle saith Every one must give an account of himself to God and consider how impossible it is that they can be justifyed when they shall appear before that God who will judge men according to the Gospel which as I have shewed doth so strictly require All Meekness towards all men Surely there is not a man that ever read the Comands of Christ who can think that he shall come off well at the great Tribunal if he can only say Lord I was so Zealous for the Church that I hated all that seperated from it I could not see them but my Spirit was incensed I could not speak to them but with provoking Expressions c. This plea might be of great force if God would make mens Passions to be the rule of Judging and not his Word which requires that we do good to all that we love our Enemies and that we should make it our business to convert sinners from the errours of their wayes But on the contrary If a man can say Lord I have been afflicted for thy Church to see the Rents and Divisions which have been amongst Christians It hath greived me to see how little men have regarded Jerusalems peace and how much they have indulged their unreasonable and causeless Prejudices I have heartily prayed to thee to bring them into the way of Truth I have endeavoured to convince them of their mistakes and to perswade them with all expressions of Meekness and Love that they would consider the Dishonour that hath redounded to thy Great Name and to the profession of the Holy Religion of Christianity And when I saw that they Returned my heart rejoyced and my Arms Embraced them and I was glad when I could go with them into Thy House or meet them there This is the right Temper of a Christian and this is the Person that will be found fit to sit with Christ when he shall Judge the World A Spirit of Meekness is a good evidence of a sincere Christian and that he shall come off with Triumph when the Lamb shall appear sitting upon the Throne One would think that what our Saviour said in his Sermon upon the Mount Mat. 5.21 22. should make all men afraid of Reviling their Brother as they love their own Souls and value their Eternal welfare He tells them that they who are guilty of it are Murderers and shall be punished as such and I am sure the House of God is a very unfit place for men to commit Murder in if their timely Repentance which is a change in them to a better temper doth not prevent it Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old times Thou shalt not Kill and whosoever shall Kill shall be in danger of the Judgment But I say unto you that whosoever shall be angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in danger of the Judgment and whosoever shall say unto his Brother Racha shall be in danger of the Council and whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell Fire Our Saviour spake to them who thought that the sixth Commandment could not be broken unless a man did actually commit Murder and therefore he Explaines it by telling them that men might be Murderers in their Hearts though they were not so with their Hands And that those who are of Malitious and Reproachful Spirits should be punished as such He gives an account of it with allusion to the several degrees of Punishments amongst the Jewes whereof the least was Death Whosoever shall be Angry with his Brother without a Cause shall be in danger of the Judgment that is whosoever shall be Offended at his Brother more from his Aptness to take Offence than from any Cause given to him or shall not moderate his Passion with a proportionable respect to the nature of the Offence shall have that Punishment in another state which is answerable to that which the Jews called Capital He hath made himself thereby liable to Eternal Death in another State And whosoever shall say to his Brother Racha that is worthless empty Fellow that shall vilifie him as mean and inconsiderable shall be in danger of the Council of being condemned to suffer a greater punishment than an ordinary Death that was to be Stoned to death which was the sentence of the Sanhedrim Meaning that he who used Reproachful Expressions should have a greater punishment than he who did not vent his passion in Opprobrious Language But whosoever shall say Thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell Fire which we are not to understand as if the punishments afore-mentioned were any whit less than the punishment of Hell Fire but as signifying a greater degree of Punishment or I may say the Fire made hotter It alludes to the burning in the Valley of Hinnom which was a punishment far greater than the other two where Children were put into Brazen Vessels set over the fire till they were Scalded to death and therefore signifies that he who doth not only use undervaluing Expressions by representing his Brother as weak and empty-headed but proceeds to the highest degree of Railing which is exprest by saying to him Thou Fool shall be in danger of exceeding great punishment in the place of Torments I was the more willing to give an Account of this place according to the Opinion of the best Expositors not only because there are many who do not Understand it but because there are more who do not Consider it and because it is very much to my present purpose If a man would know what his condition is and what it is like to be let him Examine the Temper of his Mind whether Religion hath subdued his Passion and keeps his Tongue from venting it Bad Words do as well discover a bad Man as bad Actions what ever men may pretend to Let men that are apt to revile consider what St. James saith and look to themselves chap. 1. v. 26. If any man amongst you seem to be Religious and bridleth not his Tongue but deceiveth his own Heart that mans Religion is vain Surely then they are very far
shew a Spirit of Meekness towards you and I value not the Censures of furious and unreasonable men for what I have done so I do intreat you with no less Importunity that you will receive with Meekness that which I have to offer to you 1. Let me desire you to take care that a Spirit of Meekness be not wanting in you towards others that are of conformable Principles to the Rules and Orders of the Church They that complain that a Spirit of Meekness is wanting in others should take great care that it be not wanting in themselves They that would not be bitten should take care that they do not bite They that would not be Reviled must take care that they do not Revile others You know that what I have already mentioned is very true viz. That many of the Religious Members of the Church of England have been accused of being Popish and Superstitious and of having a Form of Godliness though some will scarce allow that but not the Power of it whereas it appears to Sober and Unprejudic'd Persons that they abhor both Popery and Superstition and that they have the Power of Godliness as well as the Form of it It is my earnest desire that you should never be Reproached for that which is true I hope therefore that you will take care for it is a dreadful thing that you Revile not others for that which is false And the truth is I know no Advice more necessary to be given than that all sober Christians whatsoever their Perswasion be should make it their business to discourage Revilers and Evil-speakers upon all occasions whatsoever although they be of the same Opinion with themselves It is great pitty that all men do not consider the truth of a good old saying A good word does no hurt and a bad word does no good Revilers and Evil-speakers are certainly the most mischievous men of any party whatsoever But this is not all that I have to desire of you therefore 2. If you would not be offended this way by opprobrious Language or uncivil Carriage let me desire you to take care that you give no offence any other way as I must needs say too many do and I will shew you wherein 1. There are a great many of you who cast Contempt upon one Ordinance for the sake of another Such I mean as will come to hear the Sermon but will not come to joyn with their fellow Christians in lifting up their hearts to God in the use of the publick Prayers of the Church Gods house must be only the house of Preaching to them and not the house of Prayer The great Reason is that they have heard it spoken against by those whom they have accounted the best men and therefore they cannot be satisfied to make use of it By the same Reason if those Ministers had commended it they would have liked it very well If this be the Reason and I am confident there are many men whose Consciences tell them that it is so what Infallibility do they attribute to their Preachers And what Partiality are they guilty of For if they granted the Ministers of the Church to be Religious men and such as aim at the Glory of God and the good of mens Souls they would for the same Reason be convinc'd that it is an acceptable Worship of God Some have been so weak and misled as to think Extemporary Prayers to be the best because they are dictated by the Spirit of God This proceeds from a high Opinion that some people have of their Ministers for I never heard of any Minister that pretended to any such Divine Inspiration The weakness of this Conceit hath been sufficiently exposed and therefore I will not enlarge upon it However I will speak something and I hope you will not think that I forget my Text and lay aside a Spirit of Meekness I have seriously considered of it and I can not tell of any Spirit that extemporary Prayers come from more than other Prayers unless it be a Spirit of Opposition to the Publick Lyturgy of the Church for before that Opposition not only some Ministers of the Presbyterian Persuasion but likewise some of the Independants made use of a set Form of which I could give particular instances from the acknowledgments of men of both Perswasions I may add to this that if extemporary Prayers were really more beneficial to the People and did not tend only to the gratifying of their curiosity or to the cheating of them by a vain conceit that they are dictated by the Spirit of God or that New words when men pray are the Gift of Prayer a new-coyn'd expression for I find it not in the Scriptures there are many Ministers who would Pray extempore as well as they and no question but use would soon make great perfectness in it Or if they could understand that New words every time they pray to God would be more acceptable to him and tend more to the good of the People they would use a new Prayer every Lords Day which the Church doth not forbid them I must needs say that it is a very strange Conceit that men should think it unnecessary when they pray to the Great God to bethink themselves before hand what they shall say to him or that it should not be a great happiness to the People that they have a wholsom Form prescribed them in the use of which they may lift up their hearts to God with great and acceptable Devotion There is another Reason why many come not into the Church till the Prayers be done And that is an apprehension they have that our Prayers are taken out of the Mass-Book and therefore this were for them to Pray as the Papists do I should not need to mention this or make any Reply to it if I could be sure that the Books which are published for satisfaction in these cases are perused by those who have been dissatisfied However I shall speak very briefly concerning it and with a Spirit of Meekness Suppose we pray as the Papists do Nay suppose we Pray in many things as the Turks do who Worship the True God as well as we there is no hurt at all in it Besides our using the same Form of Prayer with them can be no Disrepute to us or occasion of any starting from it if we consider what our Religion is as it relates to the Church of Rome It is Reformation from them and not a Malicious Destruction of them Reformation must only be the excluding of that which is bad and the retaining of that which is good If it were Malice or Hatred against them we should then indeed reject all that they do Our Reformers wisely and Piously considered that Peace and Communion with them and with all that profess Christianity is exceedingly to be desired But in regard of some horrible Corruptions that were broken in amongst them they could not have Communion with them For these they
from the Text is from the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the Galatians were overtaken in a Fault so we must account those to have been likewise who have dissented from us There is a great difference between Errors of Judgment and Errors of Practice When men are guilty of Errors of Practice they are Wilful and Obstinate and act quite contrary to their own Principles for they know they are wrong and offer violence to their own Consciences and yet they are to be treated with a Spirit of Meekness that they may be made sensible of their Wickedness and reclaimed without punishment by the Execution of Laws against them if it can be effected And if these men of whom it cannot properly be said that they were overtaken in a Fault because they knew the Fault before they commited it are to be treated with a Spirit of Meekness in the first place much more then are they to be dealt tenderly with of whom it may very properly be said that they were Overtaken No man runs wilfully into an Error of Judgment but it is through Weakness and Ignorance and Inability of mind for which he is to be pitied The minds of Men are liable to such errors and mistakes that sometimes men have thought that they have done well when they have done the worst Acts. Our Saviour said to his Disciples John 16.2 The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God Service His Expression is not whosoever killeth you will say but he will think that he doth God Service It shall be according to the perswasion of his Mind His erroneous Concience will tell him that he doth God service I may mention a very strange Error which takes place in our dayes and does great mischief to the Church There are thousands amongst us who speak very reverently of our first Reformers from Popery that do exceedingly honour their memories and yet they flie as far from the Reformation that was established by them as if to return to it were to return to Popery and all that they did signified nothing but only to that age in which they lived All the Alterations and Amendments which have been made since their time signifies nothing but their orders must be wholly thrown away How little did those Holy and Learned Men think that such things would come to pass I mention these Instances because some men will not be perswaded that there is any thing but Wilfulness and Obstinacy that is the cause of mens dissenting and therefore they ought not to be treated with a Spirit of Meekness We ought in this case to call to remembrance the years that are past to consider how men were affrighted by their Teachers at any thing that did but in the least countenance Conformity to the Church of England They were brought up in a Dislike or rather an Abhorrence to the Rules and Orders of it They engaged themselves in a Communion with men of other perswasions and made choice of a Minister to be their Pastor who Dissented from the Church Nay it may be they are good men and were converted by that Minister or some other of the same perswasion from the ways of Wickedness to the practice of Religion It is well quoted by a late Learned Writer for the Church In the Division of hearts that are in the World it is certain that some good may dissent If we consider what Educations men have had and what Principles have been instil'd into their minds we may well conclude that they were overtaken in the fault of Separation and not that it was a wilful Choice and therefore they are to be treated with the Spirit of Meekness Besides we ought likewise to consider as a Consequent of this that Errors of Judgment being deeply fixt and having been of long continuance are not easily removed When men have entertain'd an Errour how weak and unaccountable soever it be yet it is truth to them and therefore they are very loath to part with it In this case he is mad who thinks he can scold a man out of his Opinion or that Reviling him will restore him There must be another and a milder way used He that would rectifie a mans Judgment must use his utmost endeavour to get first into his Affection The Apostle saith Rom. 15.2 Let every one of us please his Neighbour for his good to Edification He that would do good to another man he that desires his Edification that he may be built up in the Faith and that he may grow in Grace and Knowledg must do all that he can or may to please him Their jnfirmities must be born withal according to what the Apostle saith in the foregoing verse and nothing must be done to discourage them A man that hath indulg'd an Errour will scarcely hear what another man saith who hath no kindness for him It is to be questioned whether he will be convinc'd by him that hath Remarkable to this purpose is that forementioned place 2 Tim. 2.25 In Meekness instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth Doct. Hammonds Paraphrase upon the place is thus with great Calmness and temper dealing with those that are of different Opinions from us though in opposing us they oppose the Truth as counting it not impossible or hopeless but by the Grace of God they may be brought to Repentance and so come to acknowledge the Truth at length There are Three things very sit for us to take notice of in what the Apostle saith First That to shew a Spirit of Meekness is the best way to deal with men of different Opinions from us If any thing prevails with them that will If we think to deal otherwise with them it is the way to make them oppose the Truth still and us likewise and all that we can say to recover them Secondly When we deal with men after this manner Meekly and Gently yet it is but a Peradventure whether it will have any good effect upon them because men are commonly so wedded to their Opinions that they part not so long as they live Thirdly He that useth a Spirit of Meekness hath most reason to expect the assistance of Gods Grace who as I have already shewed requires that Temper of mind and delights in those that have it If we consider that he that hath dissented is not only our Brother but likewise that he hath been overtaken in a Fault we are not only obliged to treat him with a Spirit of Meekness from a principle of Love and Ingenuity but from the Necessity of the Case because it is our Duty to use our utmost endeavour to restore him and a Spirit of Meekness makes us most fit to effect it There is somewhat which may be considered from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the text which I told you signifies the Setting of a bone that is broken or out of joynt Those that
and brought up in a false Perswasion and that the men of that Party whatever it is may be of such unblameable Lives that they may from thence mistake and conclude that they are right I may in the next place tell you that we of this age have the greatest Cause that ever any had to suspect our Educations because of the many Opinions that were amongst us when we were young which were espoused by men of strict Lives and very good Conversations I cannot therefore but highly commend those both Ministers and others who do not hang the Clogg of their Opinions upon the Consciences of their Children but are very willing that they should comply with the Church of England 2. Lay aside or rather abandon those Prejudices which you have heard and received as indeed Unchristian You have heard that the Ministers and People of the Church of England are so scandalous that good and holy men cannot have Communion with them Let me tell you with a Spirit of Meekness 1. That it is doubtful whether ever any age produced Ministers of greater Eminency both for Piety and Learning than this hath done or whether ever any age had Christians in it more eminent for good Works than those which this Age hath produced who are of the Communion of the Church of England though they make no noise of it It was not long since confest by one who is no Lover of the Church that the men of her Communion do most good by their great Liberality I should not have mentioned this if a false Aspersion did not make it necessary It hath been objected by some that we are no True Church because God hath not blessed the Ministry of it with the Conversion of Souls I pray God convert them that say so Those who heartily comply with the Church may find a very considerable number of Holy Communicants and blessed be God for it Ministers have been very successful in bringing many young Persons and others to Righteousness 2. Those that are vicious and profess a great Respect to the Church are a great Grief to those Pious Ministers and Christians who are lovers of the Church 3. Whereas men pretend to seperate upon that account I must tell them That Debauchery and Wickedness are not so much the Cause of Divisions as they are the Effect of them Death-beds have complained that because there have been such Doubts which is the Right way men have resolved to take no way but the way of Sin and Wickedness I appeal to any sober man in the World whether he doth not think that Division and Separation hath been a great Cause of that Atheism and Profaneness which hath of late abounded And I appeal to any sober man whether a hearty Compliance with the Church of England by which there would be care taken both of young and old by the execution of Censures against those that are Vicious and Irregular would not tend exceedingly to the restraint of Wickedness and the promoting of true Holiness and Goodness Men have dissented from a Pretence that they reap great benefit to their Souls by it but I am sure if they were not prejudiced and did understand and consider the methods of the Church of England they would have little reason to think that any Constitution can tend more to the good of Mens Souls But however men must not tear the body of Christ in peices pretending that they do it for the benefit of their souls The Church is Christs Body which must not be divided upon any pretence whatsoever 3. Consult both sides Be as willing to hear what is said on one side as on the other If men take in with one Party and conclude that they are right and that continuance in their way is Perseverance and to comply with any other were Apostacy which I find to be the Conceit of a great many and therefore they will not hear what others have to say to them it is no wonder if men continue obstinate and perverse If men dealt fairly and Christianly in this case they should go to some Ministers of the Church and tell them that they would gladly comply with them if they could be satisfied concerning some things which they doubt of declaring what their Doubts are and that they are very willing to receive satisfaction that they might not offend by separating from the Church If men did so our Divisions would quickly be at an end And if they do not they have not followed the things that make for Peace for they never endeavoured to be satisfied concerning that which they doubted of There are two things which I will mention as Motives to this Complyance First There are many Good and Holy Christians who are by this means fully satisfied and are not only Devout in the use of the publick Prayers but frequent Communicants at the Lords Table Secondly Those who are thus satisfied must needs have far greater Peace than those who still continue in the wayes of Separation They avoid outward Troubles and whatsoever Disturbances come to the Church or State they are not the Occasion of them Their minds are not royled and exasperated as others are but they live in Obedience to the Laws of their King and Lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty I will conclude with a brief Exhortation to those that are Lovers of the Church You see that I have not chosen this Subject in Favour of those that have Dissented but have been guilty of a long Unwonted Digression that whilest I am contending with you to shew a Spirit of Meekness towards them I might speak of those things to them with the same Spirit which have occasioned their offending of you which otherwise had been very improper from this Subject thereby using my utmost endeavour to restore them to the Communion of the Church I will now renew my Request and leave it with you that there may be no more Complaints made that this Spirit is wanting in you I will add but very little to what I have said 1. Consider that a Spirit of Meekness is a good Reputation to the Church which you are Lovers of Church of England-Men have been Eminent for their bearing the Reproaches of others It is great pitty that they should be accused of Reviling others Besides when men give ill Words it is a sign of a bad Cause and that they have but weak Arguments and that is a disparagement to the Church whose Sons have kept their ground and Valiantly encountred all that opposed them on every side by the force of Arguments 2. I would add somewhat concerning those that are come to our Congregations 1. Consider that they are men of the best Tempers amongst those that have Dissented There are others who speak as ill of us as if we were Jews or Pagans that we are Enemies to Holiness and Destroyers of mens Souls c. And yet if we have opportunity we ought to treat those men with a Spirit of Meekness And I am sure we ought to Pitty them and earnestly to Pray to GOD for them Surely then it doth not become us to be unkind to those who are less Censorious and more Compliant 2. Consider what these men endure from those who are so Censorious They write Letters and tell them of Apostacy and Back-sliding and many are more incens'd against them than they are against us It is a very hard case that they should both suffer by us and by them for their beginning to comply with us This may make them desperate and give way to a Temptation to forsake that Religion which we all contend for 3. If we do not treat them with a Spirit of Meekness we shall wholly discourage the good Inclinations of others who have dissented If they hear that their Brethren who come before meet with any Repulse they will be very loath to follow them who otherwise might come and help to fill Gods House and be of the number of those who Surround the Lords Table GOD of his infinite mercy grant that all Christians whatsoever their opinions are may lay aside all Vnchristian Passions and Prejudices That we may follow peace with all men That we may not make it our business to please our selves but that it may be our great concern to please God in the first place and our Neighbour in the next That we may not rejoyce in any evil which befals others but may endeavour in Christian Love and Kindness to rectify their mistakes and pray to the God of Peace for his Blessing upon our endeavours by which men may understand the necessity of Obedience to Government in all lawful things that they may not suffer but that they and we may all joyn together in Serving and Worshiping God in this World and in Singing Everlasting Praises and Hallelujahs to him in the World to come FINIS
great Duties and such as the Gospel doth very strictly require of all that profess Christianity The Apostle joyns them together and it would be happy for the Nation if there were no man that put them asunder Tit. 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers to Obey Magistrates And ver 2. To speak evil of no man to be no Brawlers but Gentle shewing all Meekness unto all men The Apostle supposeth that there might be great occasion to provoke them to Railing and Evill speaking but he tells them they must not give way to Passion although their Zeal for their Religion might prompt them to it My design is to speak chiefly of the Necessity of this temper as conducing to the Churches Peace and Unity which certainly men do not consider whatever they pretend when they exasperate others by Reviling and Evill speaking We have been a great while biting and devouring one another and by that meanes we have made sport for them that hope to devour us all insomuch that it is Gods great Mercy that we are not Consumed one of another There is a great opportunity given to us of promoting the Churches Peace and Unity if an Unchristian temper of Spirit doth not hinder it Many that have dissented are constrained by the execution of Laws to serve God with us I heartily wish that we may constrain them another way such a way I mean as Christ Constraineth us and that is by his Love towards us The great thing which we ought earnestly to endeavour and Pray for is the Peace of Jerusalem that our eyes may see her a quiet Habitation and that we may all joyn together in Love and Unity but this can never be if we are not of peaceable Spirits or as the Apostle saith of meek and quiet Spirits to them that are now come among us We read that when Solomon built his Temple There was neither Hammer nor Axe nor any Tool of Iron heard in the House whilst it was in building It had no doubt a typical Signification to shew that there must be no Jarres or Contentions amongst the Worshippers of God which are as the knocking of Iron Instruments and much more unpleasant than they can be As there was that care taken in the building of the house of God so I wish we may take a care alluding to it in our repairing of the unhappy Breaches of the Church of God and that we may all be as those Workmen who helpt on with the building but made no noyse Reproaching and speaking Evil of men whatever their faults have been is not the way to bring them into the Churches Communion but to make them shun and avoid it I should exceedingly wonder if I should hear one say that he hath been in company with Dissenters and that he took occasion to tell them what they are That he treated them with such reproachful Titles as the Devil and his Emissaries hath sent out of other Nations to set Protestants at variance one against another And now that he hath done this he hopes it will be a means to bring them to Church and that he and they shall all joyn together in lifting up their hearts to God in the use of the publick Prayers of the Church He hopes now that they shall come together to the Blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper If we love the Church we will heartily endeavour to encrease her Members and if we pretend to that and yet revile those who have dissented we are Fools and contradict our selves We should do very well to learn Wisdom from an Enemy If a Jesuite should see any of us in their places of publick Worship how kindly should we be treated by them in hopes that they might bring us over to the Church of Rome If we had of late gone to the Conventicles of Anabaptists or any other Sectaries how gladly would they have made room for us and treated us with all possible kindness in hopes that we would be in Love with their Party And shall we have less regard for that Church whereof we are Members which is admired by all Learned men of the Reformed Religion as the best constituted Church in the world If the present Execution of Laws drive those that have dissented into our bosoms to be embraced by us and not upon the Swords and Spears of reproachful Tongues we have great cause to hope that they will be satisfied of the great Necessity and likewise of the great Benefit of a hearty and sincere Compliance I will conclude this particular with the Apostles importunate Request to the Ephesians Chap. 4. v. 1 2 3. I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with long suffering forbearing one another in Love Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace IV. As a Spirit of Meekness tends to a General good so likewise to our own Particular good and Benefit It is a great satisfaction to us if we are well assured that we are of such a Temper of mind as becomes our Profession and which is not only pleasant in it self but acceptable to God and serviceable to his Church It is an argument that we are such persons as we ought to be Particularly 1. It a great argument of true Piety and Holiness That we fear God and are truly and sincerely Religious The Apostle joynes Meekness and the Fear of God together 1 Pet. 3.15 But Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts And be ready alwayes to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with Meekness and Fear The Apostle did not mean that they should fear them that should call them to Question but that they should only shew Meekness towards them and that there should be in them that fear of God which should keep them from the fear of Men. The Apostle saith Ye that are Spiritual c. Intimating that Meekness is to be expected from such If we are not Meek it may be suspected that we are not Spiritual This is one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in the foregoing Chapter v. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness A Spirit of Meekness is a great evidence that we are good Christians and that our Religion hath tempered our minds 'T is that as I have already shew'd which our Saviour requires of all that are his Disciples And if we read the Epistles of the Apostles we may conclude that there was nothing which they did with more ardent Zeal and continued fervency contend for not only for the promoting of Christianity in the World but as that which was a good Evidence of mens being in a Religious State Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of Mercies Kindness Humbleness of mind Meekness Long-suffering Col. 3.12 The Apostle plainly shews that those who are highly valued of God should shew