Direlio9• Direll. 10. Direll. 11o Direll. 12• The 21Jil of Cell{oriorif,left. as well as othm? Arc you not afraid ldl he lhould find greater faults in you, than you find in others> And condemn you as you condemn them ? · Direct. 9· Ltt the fenfe of tht common corruption of the world, and imptrftl'lio!f of thegodly mode~ rate your particular cen[ures. As Sencca flith, To cenfurc a man for that which is common to all men, is in a fort to ~eniUre him tOr being a man ; which befeemeth not him tha_t is a man himfelf. Do you not know the fraihy of the btfi, and the common pravity of humane nature? How few are there that muft not have great allowance, or elfc they will not pafs for currant in the ballance. EliM was a man fubju'l to pallions : Jonab to picvifhnefs : Job had his impatiency : paut faith even of the Teachers of the primitive Church, They sU (that were with him ) feelt tbtir otr;t and not the thintr of Jefus Chrift. What blots are charged on almofi all the Churches, and alrnoO ~11 the holy pcrfons, m(ntioned throughout all the Scriprurcs? Learn lhrn of PaHl a bcucr ldfon than ccn– forioufncfs, Gal. 6. I· Brethren, if aman be overtaken in a[.wit; yt which are fpiriltul rejlare fuch a one in the fpirit of meek..nefs; co•ifidtring thy filf, ltj! thou alfo be tempted. Bear ye one anotbtrs burdens, and fo fulfiU the Law of Chrijl. Let every man prove his own work.., and tbm he jhaU have rej~ycing in him{tlf alone, &c. Direct. to. Remember that Judgement is Gods prerogative ( further than as we are called to it for the performance ot fome duty, either of Office, or ot private Charily or felf- pref(rvation): And that the Judr;e is as at the door t And that judging unmercifully maketh us lyablc to judgement with· out mercy. The forefight of that near univerfa!Judgcment, which will pafs the doom on us and all men, will do much to cure us of our n!h cenforioufneiS. Direct. Il• Peruji and obfirve all the Direflions in the laj! Chapter agai•ft tvil·{peaking a. .d bac~biting, that I may not need to repeat them : EfpeciaUy avoid 1. 1be firare of filftfhnefs and imereft : For moll men judge of others principally by their own interetl: Ht is thegood man, that is good to tbtm, or is on their fid.a; that loveth and honoureth them, and anfwcreth ti.e.ir dt:fires: This is the common falfe judgement of the corrupted fclfifu world ; who yilifie and hatltthe bell, becaufe they feem unfuitable to them and to their carnal interefi: Therefore take heed ofyour judgement about any man, that you have any falling-out with: For its two to one, bur you will wrong him through this feltilhnefs. 2· Avoid paf!im; which blindcth the judgement. 3· Avoid FaEiion ; which maketh you judge: of atl men as lhey agree OJt difagree with your opiniom , or your fide and par~y. 4· Avoid too hally belief of cenfures, and rebuke them. 5· Hm every man fpeak for himfelf before youcenfure him, if it be poffible, and the cafe b~ not notorious. Direct. 12. Kttp (/iU upon your mind a juft and dttp apprehenfion of tbe malignity oftbiJ fin, of ra.fh crn[uring: lt is of grcatc:ll confequcnce to the mortifying of any fin, wh1t a.pprthenfions of it a(e upon the mind. If religious perfons apprehended the odioufnefs of rhis as much, as they do of (wearing, drunkennefs, fOrnication, &c. they would as carefully avoid it: Therefore I fhall 01ew you tlu: Malignity of this fin. · . Tit. 3. The e1lil of t!Je Sill of Cenforiouflle[s. 1· r. I• IT is an ufurpation ofGods P;crogative, who is the Judge of all the world : It is · a ftrpping up into his Judgement Seat, and undertaking his work, as if you (aid, 1 will be God Mto this aUion: And if he be called, 1he Anticbrifl who ufurpeth the Office ofChrifi, to be the Univcrfal Monarch and Head of the Church, you may imagine what he doth, who ( though but in one point ) doth fct up himfclf in the place of God. ~· 2· •· They that ufiup not Gods part in judging, yet ordinarily ufurp the part of the Magi– firate or Pafl:ors of the Church. As when mifiaken cenforious Chrifiians rdUfe to 'ome to the 5acra– ment of Communion, becaufe many perfons are there whom they judge to be ungodly, .what do they but ufurp the Office of the Pallors of the Church? To whom the Keys are committed for admiffion and exclufion ? And fa arc the appointed Judges of that cafe? The duty ofprivate members is but to admonilh the offender firll fecrctly, and then before witncffcs, and to tell the Church if he repent not, and humbly to tell the Pallors of their duty, if they neglect it: And when this is done, they have difcharged their part, and mufi no more excommunicate men themfc:lvcs, than they mufi hang Thieves wher the Magifiratc doth neglec.l to hang them. §. 3· 3· Ct>J[orioufnefs jignifietb the abfence or qecay of Love : which inclineth men to think evil, and judge the worfi, and aggravate infirmiti-es, and overlook or extenuate any good (hat is in others. And there is leall Grace where there i5leafi Love. 1· f· 4• It O><weth alfo much want of folf·acq.,•intance, and {uch I1Cart-employment as the fin– cerefi Chritl:ians are taken up with. A11d it fht:weth much want of Chriilian IJUmility and fenfe of your own infirmities and badnefs ; and much puvalency of Pride and felf~concei1edneh : If you knew how ignoram you are, you would not be fo peremptory in judging ; And if you knew how bad you ue, you would not be (o forward to condemn your neighbours. So that here is together the elf<et
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