Tl:e Sjufttlmfs of 13ackbitillg. evH fpeakers, and be not over-cudulous of them. Charity thinketh not evil, nor eafi!y and 'hafiily bdi~.veth ir. Lyars arc murc: u!ed to e:vil fpeaking, than men cf truth and credit arc:. It is 1:0 wrong to the bdt, that you bt!kve him not when he blckbitc:th, without good evidence. Dirdt. 6•. Re~u.~e ·b.Jck.,bitru '. aml encourage thtm not by btarl{_nin~ to tbeir talu, Prov. 25· 23· Dirtll. 6. 1ht 1Wrth 1VIIfd a_I'JVctb aw.q 'fatn: So doth an angry coummume a back._biting tongue. It may be th<y think rhem{dvcs rdigious perfons, and will ukc: it for an injury ro be drivm away with an a1rgry cotmtcn.mce: But God himCc:lf who loveth his fervants better than we, is moreotKnded at their fin; and thlt ~·hich dfcudetb him, rn•JI\ offend us; We mu!\ not hurt their fouls_, and difpleafe God, by drawmg upon ns the guilt of their fins, fOr fear of difplc•fing them. Tdl them how rJod d6th bate backbiting, and a.dvife t~lcm, if they·know any hurt by others, w go w thtm privatel) and tell them of it in a way th~t tcndcrh to their repentance. Difl6t, 7· Vjt to m.J/tt! mcntio1: of the good wJ~ich U in otbcrs (except it be unfeafom.b1e, and will DireCI. 7· feem t~' b~: a prometinJ:; of their fin) Gods gilts in every man ddcrve commendations; And we have allowance ro mention mens v..:rtu<s oftner than to mention their vices. Indeed when a bad man is praifcd in ord.:r 10 the difpnageruenr of the good, or to honour fome wicked cau(e or aCtion again1t uuth and godlindS· 1 we rnuft not c~ncur in fuch malitious praiii.s : Bur otherwife we mull cummrnd tha.t which is truly commendable in all. And this cufiome will have a double b~nttit againfi bJckbiting: h will ufc:: your ow-n tongues to a cmHrary courfc, and it will rebuke the t.V:I tongues of others, and be an c:xample to them of more charitablt: language. Direct. 8. Vndtrj!a11d yom felou, and {ptak.. often to others. of th' finfulnrfr ofevil fpe.kj;rg and Dirrl/. 8. b..zcf.thiting : Shcw them the S.:riptures which condemn it, and chc intrinfcc1l mllignity which is in it: as hctc:: followeth. Direct. 9· /V[.Jk._e co11f;ience of juft reproof and exh<~rtin_g finners to tbcir f.~cu: Go tell them of Direl1. 9 • ir privately and lovi11gly, and it wiU havc:: better df.Ch, and bring you more comfort, and cure 1hc tin of b>ckbiting. Tit. 3· The Bvil of 13ackbiting and bit Speaking. 9I· I· IT ii f orbiddm of GDd among the hciMuJ d;mning fint, and m1de the character of a notorious wicked perfon, and the avoiding of it is made the mnk of fuch as are ac– cepted of God, •nd fha.ll be f1ved, Rom. J, 29, 30. it is made t~.e mark of a rcprob~te mind, and joyncd with m:trdrr and hatiNg GDd, viz. full of envy, drbate,dtccit, mo~lignity, whifptrrrs, bac/thiterJ: Pfa!. 1 5· 2, 3· Lurd who jh'll abide in thy tabernacle l /Yho jhall dwell in 1hy holy bill l He that back..· bitrth not witb his to11g:u, nor diltb evil ·to hit neighbour, nor lak._etb up a reproach againjl hHmigbbour. And when PJul dcfcribeth thofc whom he mufi ibarply rebuke and ccnfurc, he jult defcrib:::th the fa– C!ious f01t ofChriHims of our times, z Cor. 12. zo. For I fiar left "tPhrn I comt, I jha11Mt find you jkch as I "«ordd, and tbat ljhaU be f ound untoY'" fuch as ye would not: Lc{l tbere be deb11ttJ, envyiu~1) wraths, jlrifu, bJck._bitings. whi[periugJ, fwcUingJ~ tu,mults. Ephc:f. 4· 3 I· Let all bitternt[s, a;zd wtatb, and angtr, and cl:~mcm, and tvil [pcak,j.ng be put aJPay from you, wilh aU m>~licc, and be kj11d one to another) and under heartrd-- ~· 2. 2 · It Ma fin wVich gratifitth Sat.m, and fcrvetb his malice agai11ft our neighbour. He is ma .. liriou~ againJl all, and tpe1king evil, 1nd d.oinghurr, ate the works which arc fuit;,ablc tO his malig~ niry? Ar.d {hould a Chriftian make his tOngue the infirumcnc of the accMfcr of the ·brethren, to do his work againH tach Olhtr? ~· 3· 3~ It jig,nifieth n·ant ofChrijlian Love. For love fpeakcth not evil, nor openeth mens faults withou~ a calJ{c, but _covereth intirr~ities: Much ldSwill it lye and tl•ndcr others, and c1rry abqur unccrtam reports agamH then-:. It JS 110t to do as you would be done by : And how dfenual L~ve is to trut: ChriOianity, Chrit\ himfelf hath often told us. . · ~ §. 4· 4· I: is a fin n·hicb dirfllly flrvtth to dcflroy the hearers Love, and con[iquently to deftroy their foMls. If the backbiter underHuod himfclf, he would confefs that it is his very end eo cau{C you to hate ( or ab1re your love to ) him whom he fpeaketh evil of. He that fpcaketh good of a man reprcfu:tcth him amiable: :for ttmi:zh!orefs and goodNtfs are all one. And he that fpeakech tvlt of a man reprefenteth him b.Juful or unlovcly: For baufulntji, Imlovclincfs and evil are all one. And as it is not rhc narural way of wiunii"lg love, to intreat and beg it, ar.d fay, I pray you love tbit per~ [im, or th:Jt thing; but tO opm the goodmfs of the thin~ or perfon, which will command love. So is it not the natural way to liir up h.Jtred, by intreating men to bate tbU man or that ; but to tell how bad they are, which will command hacred in them that do bclh.'vc it. Therefore to fpeak evil of another, is more than to fay w the hearers, I pray you batt tbU m:tn, or abateyour love to him. And that the kil!ing of Love, is 1he killing or ddlroying of mens fouls, the Apotllc John doth frc· quently declare. 1 9 5· 5· And it tmdctb alfo to deftroy tlu Love, and confcquently the [vul .of him Jhat you [peak._ evil Df· l,.or when it cvmeth w his hearing (as one way or orhcr it m1y do) what evil you have reported,
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