Dod - Houston-Packer Collection BV4655 .D63 1600z

ment. 167 , . And there is grea t reafon why one f11ould be carefull of thofe ofother co;ngreg~ttinns }}lnd ofother places. For,ifwe haue the true loue~)fGod in vs, it "'ill grieue vs to thehea rt, to fee Gods nameod11onourtd;,andhis la'.\!CS broken,of ariy onewhofoeuer: and therefore/a much as in vs lies, we rnuH reprdfe all fuch pracbfcs,whoruer th ~y bee that doe them~ Alfo,euery man is bound to louehis enemy lyra,his ene111ies E«ed,:a.3~~ • .bcafl, and ifhefeehis cnemic;s beaH vndcr hi& burd.en, hee mull helpe him vp. Ifone mu Ahclpe amans ox ~ or affc, if he be burdened, much more his foule that is burdened with the i1nne that will kill it, ifit be net remoued. No man is fo fauage,,thar,ifhefee~blindman running into aWel,wher-:- i.n he may be drowned, will fay_, Let him go; I care nor,he is. none ofmy familie, nor ofmy friend s; thoughhee ~ee not, mercie is tobe fhewed .tG all,and nature in fuch a cafe will ·teach one to run and callvn.to him,and hinder himby what meanes he can : fo for the foule much more, ifwe fee a per– fon,who is in truth blinded through ignorance, and know– ,eth not che danger)ready to caHhimfelfe into the pit ofhell, -mercywill moue him; that hathany true mercy; to fceke to · .reclaime him. , ;. And then in regardofthe go~dofthe whole cQngrega..... :~ion., onemufl hinder {hangers from gi~ing fuch ill exam- " :Pks. For, thoughat the firfi, itfeeme a !mall thing for th.etn, .to doe what they liH, -becaufc they bee not of our familie ll{)f congregation, yet is it exceediri_g dangerous... For our· -· nature_isfo fubiect to in:fe6lion, and we .are fo eafily drawne · tocuill, that ifone fu_ffcr :a f.lrang~r, at length hi~ chil~rcn , and· feruants will le~rne, and come after to doe the fame .·.· things. So that; for our owne fakes, we~ rnull bee diligent . to cut offoccafioos, and warily to preuent danger; for one · .houfe on fire may. burne thewhole town.e. And ifa Hnurgcr· wouldbuy an houfe in the town_e, and then be fo foolifh as .to fet rt on fire, menvyould noi let himalone, forfeare leH.: · it fi1ould alfo catch their houfes: and fo in tnnh, if the fire offinne kindle in the heart .and pra~Hfe of a firanger, and . wee feeke not to quench and fuppreOe it, it will not tatrie· there loLJg, it will .catch.fomein the congregation, and fet · , . · · them,

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