Hatred Envy Flattery Curiosity Busibodiness or the like to make it known and declare it to others Whereby they dispose themselves to be Unjust and Uncharitable to others and hardly to like any Body but themselves or those that are like themselves or some way or other Useful and Profitable to them that is themselves in others And as much do they dispose others by this their Behaviour and Temper both by way of Imitation and Revenge or Self-defence at least to behave themselves in like manner to them and to pay them in their own Coyn. Men hereby too growing Strangers to themselves and being busier in other Mens Tempers and Actions than their own are taken up in mending in others that which is not Faulty or they can less mend if it be While they neglect themselves where it may be more to be mended and where they can better do it A Vice or Fault this seems too Extraordinary frequent For what more frequently comes into our thoughts and Discourses at all times than other mens Persons and consequently their Qualities and Actions All our Behaviour to one another to all sorts of Persons supposeth and followeth our Judgments we make one of another which are very rarely exactly true and sincerely Charitable but most-what altogether rash and prejudiced by Self-love and consequent Passions or blended and mixed Few Men also employ themselves in Judging or Discoursing of things appertaining to Persons abstracted from Persons because they are not accompanied with a sensible Subject which with what appertains thereto they best apprehend and conceive And for the same Reason among others the Persons are others not themselves they most frequently occurring to their Senses Men seldomer see themselves in their Glasses than others directly with their Eyes And then they being great but as foolish and unreasonable Self-lovers are not only willing therefore to have nothing Faulty Bad or Imperfect in themselves which is well But also not to see it and then they judg they really have none when they have as many or more and greater than others which is foolish and bad Bad because it proceeds from ultimate Self-love Foolish because the mistake through Self-flattery is very Hurtful and Mischievous to themselves whom they so much love For hereby they deprive themselves of the greatest good that is of becoming universally Good and Vertuous while they overlook what is amiss in themselves and see it not at all or if they do they take it for something that is Vertuous and Commendable or much more so than it is Nor is this Fault or Vice only to be seen in ordinary Persons But is also very general to all sorts even to those who have had the Opportunity of the best instructed Education Witness Books and Writings where oft-times Men proclaim aloud and leave upon Record and this most willingly rashly foolishly out of Pride Envy Revenge Contempt the Ignorance the Folly and Mistake the Rashness Falshood Knavery Hypocrisie Obstinacy of one another This is that which our Saviour here Warns and Adviseth against in this long and Excellent Discourse of his both to his Disciples and a multitude of People who were gathered together from all the Countrey about to see and hear what he did and said And it seems they heard so much as put them into great Wonder and Astonishment Both in respect it is like of the Excellent Matter of his Preaching and Discourse being more Moral and Spiritual than that of the Pharisees and their Scribes and Doctors was who most-what read them Lectures of tithing Mint and Gummin and the minute small Matters of their Law And then in respect of his manner of Speaking which was with more Authority That is so as to move them more to mind and believe the things he said and that among other Ways by speaking them so as if he most certainly knew the Truth and Concernment of what he spake they on the Contrary it may be only probably uncertainly dubiously and coldly reasoning about their small Questions In treating of this Argument the Summ or Contents of our Discourse shall be these I. Only just to mention the true Sense of the word here used to Judg or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 II. The Judgment here forbidden shall be more particularly explicated III. What Judgment here is not forbidden though in danger of being taken for that which is IV. Whence this forbidden Judgment here proceeds what are the Causes V. The mischievous Effects or Consequences hereof which will be so many Reasons too why we should not be guilty of it VI. The Remedies to prevent or mend it VII How we should govern our Judgments of Persons both concerning their Vertues and Vices Sect. I. I. For the First The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred to Judg hath several Significations in Scripture 1. In General to pass Judgment that is to affirm or deny any Proposition or Sentence thought of This is the most ordinary Sense and every where occurs 1 Cor. 11. 13. Judg in your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is it comely for a Woman to Pray with her Head uncovered And the same in 1 Cor. 10. 15. I speak as to Wise-Men Judg you what I say i. e. Pass your Judgment give your Opinion after Consideration of what I am now about to propose unto you And where this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is thus used in the Septuagints Translation of the Old Testament it may Answer to the Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and other words 2. More particularly To pass Judgment concerning the Actions or Qualities of a Person either of his Vertues or Faults Good or Bad And this is as often met withal and so it is three or four times presently after one another in 1 Cor. 4. 3 4 5. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of Mans Judgment Yea I judg not mine own self That is As for yours or any Mans Judgment concerning my Faithfulness in my Stewardship of the Mysteries of the Gospel of which in the two former Verses whether I am or am not Faithful I make a little account of it Their Judgments upon many Accounts it may be being but little if any probable signs of the Truth Nay I pass not Judgment concerning this thing Universally my self I it may be forgetting or not seeing many things in my self But the Lord is he that doth always and hath right to Judg who is All-knowing and Just as it is in Verse 5. 3. More particularly yet It signifies to pass Judgment concerning a Persons Innocency or Merit that he is Innocent That is an Acquitting and Absolving him so is the Sense To Judg the Cause of the Poor and Needy Spoken of Jehoiakim's Father And To Judg the Fatherless and Oppressed that the Man of the Earth may no more Oppress Psalm 10. 18. Here and in such like the Septuagints word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of or observing only either the good or bad Actions or Qualities Perfections or Imperfections of Men together with their Effects and Consequences and not both Whence it comes to pass that those Persons in whom we attend to nothing or little but what is Good which is still the better extreme we judg much better than indeed they are and thus it is usually in our Judgments of our Selves or our Friends or those we love and favour But on the contrary those in whom we attend to or observe what is bad or imperfect only their bad qualities or actions the bad effects and consequences of these and not at all or but little of what is Good we judg them much worse than they are Judg them to have done a great many and very bad actions to have a great many and very bad qualities but none or very few good This as it is the most mischievous so it is the more frequent extream Men being now so far from that Humane and Christian temper of universal Kindness and Good-will that they are but very few they care for or to whom they are disposed friendly in comparison of those they do not This again may sometimes proceed from meer necessary Ignorance and want of Information For sometimes a Man may have seen or otherwise known much Good by a Man and none or little bad either because the Man wanted his proper Temptation or through dissimulation of his temper and inclination or for other reasons And on the contrary a Man by himself or others may know many bad things by a Person and little Good when he may have much in him which he had never the opportunity to observe or the Means otherwise to know But it most-what proceeds from some undue disposition of Will and when a Man is partially not justly affected to Persons and as he ought he is either pleased or displeased with Persons more than in general he might observe them to deserve or merit Thus you shall but too often see to give Instances of that side which is most to be avoided that Men will take more notice of and better remember one bad Action in a Person than twenty good ones and consequently this shall procure him more Disreputation or Disesteem than they shall honour or good-will So ungrateful and ill-natur'd a thing is but too much of the World Whereas we should say such or such a thing indeed at such a time is amiss bad or evil but then 't was but once or seldom perhaps nay I know it is oftner otherwise and he hath such or such good qualities there he is to be commended that is or was well done And this should be done not to sooth Men up or to make them content and so well-pleased with themselves notwithstanding many ill Actions Vices and Imperfections as not to endeavour to prevent reform and amend them too but to encourage them so to do since they have so much Good in them already And to make ones Counsel or Reproof more effectual since this ready taking notice and approbation of what 's Good in them is an Argument of an impartial Love Charity and Kindness to them in the Person exhorting or reproving And here I 'le only add by the way because it is a thing of frequent and great use in Humane life that it is the same kind of Cause of our false Judgment of the Goodness or Evilness of things viz. We only observe and attend to either the Conveniencies or Inconveniencies the Good or Bad effects of things but not to both together which is oft from meer Ignorance oftner from some Passion We may observe it every where in publick Constitutions in Domestick Private and Personal affairs Whence oft-times we hurry and haste to mend things for the worse and are discontent ill at ease make our selves unhappy repine murmur and unthankful to God unjustly and without reason and yet after some experience of the contrary Inconveniences we are running back again with many other mischievous and hurtful Consequences Oft-times too on the other hand we will not stir to mend things taking notice only of their Conveniencies and not of their-Inconveniencies which might without greater be redressed The first generally is the defect of those who affect Novelty The second of those who affect Antiquity i. e. Who inordinately and immoderately love them either absolutely for themselves without reference to any good use or effect or more than what they can really contribute to any such good use doth deserve The first is commonly the temper of Young-Men the second of Old In the one being an immoderate appetite of Activity in the other of Ease Sect. XIII 5. A fifth Cause is want of a prevalent love of Truth Men most-what in their Judgments and Discourse concerning Persons nor is it much less in things witness the generality of Books look more at other things little or not at all at the truth of what they judg or say they take little heed whether it be really true or no and therefore seldom examine suspend or pronounce doubtfully or according only to appearing probability It is true they say and think things to be true very confidently and strongly but this not because they see the truth of what they affirm but because they would have it true Not because their Understanding and Perception goes before their Judgment and their natural affection to Truth makes them so judg but some other disposition of will such as I have so often named Activity Curiosity Pride Hatred Envy Anger Contempt Flattery c. Whereas we should be very careful to possess our Minds with such a serious love of the Truth that we may have a constant reverend regard thereto in all our Judgments and Speeches concerning others And this we should do without much trouble if we used our selves thereto and did but use to check our selves and ask the Question and pause a little whether we know it to be true or no. We should love not only to speak truth with our Neighbour but of our Neighbour too We should look upon Truth as a most Sacred thing ever to be inviolable and to be the main if not the only perfection of our Judgments without which we had better have none at all We had better be utterly Ignorant and never judg at all than do it erroneously For by that means our Actions and Resolutions are determined and directed amiss and are mischievously made use of For were it not much better that we were ignorant and passed no Judgment at all of Persons either of the quantity or quality of their Perfections and Imperfections than by being mistaken therein sometimes to neglect or punish the Innocent and Well-deserving and to be Beneficent and bestow good things upon those that ill deserve and make ill use of them In few words Men judg falsly because they will not judg truly or are not pleased therewith or at least but little and in such degree only that it
Judgments of wise and honest Men would generally with reason be for their honour and advantage though with rash and proud Men of which always are too many the most manifest Integrity and Wisdom will not be sufficient to procure them Truth and Justice 3. The contempt or undervaluing of them and their Authority which follow upon our Judgment is of much worse effect than that of private Persons as generally Laws publick Advices and Sentiments and Examples too sometimes are of more use than private Opinions and Examples They being I say generally better of more comprehensive and certain good effect as done by a greater and more generous Charity with more of a publick Spirit and more Prudence and Wisdom Private Persons especially still the more Vulgar are generally more Selfish and Foolish 2. Be more sparing in declaring thy Judgment concerning Friends For if thy Judgment be on the good hand it will be suspected Flattery or generally Self-love And therefore it is generally when any one commends his Friend allowed for him nay expected he should interpose his excuse that it is said by him who might be suspected Partial and more apt to speak somewhat beyond the Truth But if thy Judgment be on the worst side thou wilt be esteemed Ungrateful and were it never so true yet it should not have been said by thee and therefore in such Cases too we see Men Apologize and make an Excuse and alledg some more than ordinary reason that obligeth them to pass such a Judgment on their very Friend 3. Be more sparing in doing it of thine Enemy the reason is because thy Judgment will be suspected and believed to proceed from Hatred and Ill-will I say be more sparing and cautious in these and such like Cases I do not say but that sometimes there may be sufficient reasons to do it but then there is more than ordinary Prudence to be used in such manner as I have now Instanc'd to prevent or remove the hinderance of its good effect Nay I advise rather to take occasion to pass thy Judgment on the good side here that is to commend him and speak well of him for what thou knowest good and commendable in him for then thy Judgment is believed and consequently of better effect to those who hear it for encouragement to Imitation Thou givest also a good Example to others of thy Unprejudicedness and being above and untoucht by busie Passions of Hatred Ill-will or Revenge and of being such a generous lover of Truth and Goodness as not to conceal but willingly take notice of and approve what is really in the Person laudable though thine Adversary it may be too altogether undeserved and without reason And lastly too By this exercise and use thou really dost procure and confirm in thy self this Generosity and Manliness and Christianness for nothing more commended in Christian Religion of Temper and subduest Selfishness and the rabble of it's Slaves those inordinate and immoderate Appetites and Passions makest them sneak and dare not to appear 4. Be more sparing and cautious in declaring thy Judgment concerning a Person generally Innocent or well Disposed but once or rarely overtaken and that because it is most likely that he will do so no more or mend without thy judging him to himself or others Nor is there much danger of others imitating him in one single or very rare Action when they know he generally doth the contrary only indeed if one should observe it who knows not the Man he may be informed that the Man was surprized and useth not so to do and then what needed the trouble or shame or discredit that thou gavest him it was unnecessary And no evil of Pain or Punishment must be admitted but where it is necessary for a greater good And then it is an usual sign to others of some ill nature and Pride that is pleased too much in others Faults or Infirmities when Men are so ready to judg the first and consequently is of bad Example to them and prejudicial to ones self Or if thou dost see reason to take notice of such Fault or Infirmity let it be very shortly and presently seconded with a Commendation of him for his general past Innocency or freedom there-from and that thou doubâ—est not but that he himself the most disapproves of it and will not readily do so again All which are signs of freedom from any Selfishness of Charity and Prudence and consequently the more likely to have good effect on the Person concern'd and others too 5. Be sparing in declaring thy Judgment of wrathful and bashful Persons either to themselves or others One reason is because the wrathful and angry Man will not and cannot bear it through Pride and the bashful through Shame that is Fear To the wrathful Man it is at least to himself ineffectual for he 'll the more justifie or defend himself and do or be the same thing again out of Revenge and Pride it will give him occasion of wrath and attempting Mischief he 'll turn and rent thee I say this for the most part as all other Directions of this kind For sometimes it may be requisite for his and others Good first calmly and softly signs of Good-will to him by doing him good afterwards shortly and smartly that is out of real Benevolence still but by some pain or evil to him to pass Judgment concerning any Principle or Action of his let him take it how he will and but too impatiently And as for the bashful Person it is too great a punishment for him less would have done And always do as little evil as thou canst A private Hint to him would have been sufficient Be not a Witness against thy Neighbour without a cause and deceive not with thy Lips saith the Wiseman Prov. 24. 28. That is Do not pass nor make known thy Judgment either privately or publickly without sufficient reason 6. Be sparing in declaring thy Judgment on the worst side before much Company especially Persons whose Favour or good Opinion is more considerable and who are in no great danger of Imitation One reason is because most-what less Discredit or Disgrace would have sufficed to the Mending or Correcting of the Person if it had been before but one or two either before the Person himself concern'd or from whom it might have been conveyed to him The Faults or Imperfections had need be great or frequent and the Person or Persons very confident and presumptuous obstinate and conceited and a danger of some general Infection when they are so much published and made known 7. Be sparing in declaring thy Judgment on the worst side before Enemies or Adversaries or ill-disposed One reason is because they are or are in danger of being prejudiced and partial in their Judgments concerning the Person to whom they are ill-affected already and thou by thy Judgment confirmest and increasest this their Partiality They are but too ready to catch at and take notice of any thing