i 76 The Converton of our Prov. 9.8. Mat.7.6. Mat. 18.17. Prov. 15.1 i. T)iog. Laert. in&cefilo. Cafiellan. de vit,bedic. p. I17' Serm. 8: thy neighbour,and not freerfinuponhim. I might heredivert into a cafe almot co-incidcre,and chat is, (Ilefl. when is it our duty to reprove fade as we fee and hear commit- ting of stn su we papby in eke Arens? fnfzv. This being the butiinefsof another fubjea, I (hall onely fay thus much, that if thou perceìveft them by their haughty and fcornful carriage to be fuch as will kick at rebuke , thou haft a rule from Solo- mon: Reprove not a Scorner,leafi he hate thee. When by thewifeil con_ jeaure chat thou canal Blake, he is like to flew the properties of a bru. tifh, fwinith nature: Cali not thy Pearls before swine, lea(1 they trample themunder theirfeet, and turn again and rent you. But if he be a perfon likely to receive impretfions, and particularly if it be a crefpafs againit thy felf, go tell him his fault between thee and him alone ; if he (hall hear thee, thou had gained thy Brother. Debate thy caffe with thy neighbour himfelf, Troy. 25.9. I have known admirable fuccefs in this cafe. But in all fuch cafesobferve thefe three dire&ions. I . Time your reproofs feafonably ; words fpoken in feafon are like Apples of Gold in Pi&iures of Silver. [ aura 72lTO eiiiAr etas mop, 7D, UiFÿy cgÿsreP ¿ 91 r ] This very point ((ayes an antient ) is proper to a Philofopher to underhand the feafon of all things. I may fay, 'cis much more the excellencyofa Chriltian to feel thepulle of the foul, and hit the difcale in the very joynt ; as 'cis re- ported of Galen, that when Antonio/us laboured under a di(temper, o- thers not being able to declare where it lay, this Phyfician by his ex- pertnefs in the evidenceof fymptomes , pronounced that his flomach was vexed with crudities and indigeflion : The Empereur cried out three times [ciuTa àI/p,,ieTa' 7O, 44711S1 6l] Thats ir, that very thing is it, which thou haft fpoken. As toour purpofes,it is advifeable, fometimes, not prefently and immediately to fall bluntly upon the work,leafl thou thy felf fhoulde!t be in a pall-ion. Yet flay not too long, #cal} thy holy zeal be cooled , and both thou and he forget or dif- femble the Circum(tances, whereby reproof might be the better fixed. A feaf<onable time tointermeddle in thefe cafes may be when a friend is underage holy hand of God in any ál11 ion , particularly in a fek- bed. That time which is fit for hodily,may be much more fit for foul - phyfick. When thoughts of mortality, and the leavingofall outward enjoyments do prepare and meliorate the way for fpiritual impref fions. 2.. Mix thy reproofs with meek and gentle exprefl°ions. Every re- proof íhotild be like the Syrapns Acetofus of Phyfitians , the Syrup oz Vineger,
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