Ch. 3. The Government Jam a vine figs? fo can no fountain both yield fait water and frefh. io, it, la. Do you not perceive that your ill reproachful Tongues, which vilifie, (peak evil of, and condemn good Chriftians for not being of your minds, 'do confute themfelves, when the fine Tongues profefs to honour God, and boaft of Wildom and.Religion inyour helves: If you were as wife and godly as you profefs, your Tongueswould not, by (peaking ill of your brethren, thew the contrary. No Fountain fends forth tweet Water and bitter, freth and file; no Fig-tree brings forth Olives. The Tree is known by its Fruit. 13. Who is a wife man and endued with knowledge amongst you ? let him flew out of a good converfation his works with meeknefs of wifdom. 11. Are any among you indeed as muchwi. fer, and knowing and excelling others, as you would be thought when you cenfure or defpife them : Show ir, if you would have any wife Man believe you; not by proud boafting or talkingagainft others, but by the true Fruitsof the Spirit, even a better Converfation than theirs in all your Dealings, and by more goad Works, with that humble Meeknefs which fib nifieth trueWifdom. 14. But if ye have bitter envying and ftrife in your hearts, glory not, and lienot againft the truth. I g. This wifdom defcendeth not from above, but is earthly, fenfual, devilifh, 14, 1 s. But ifyou have a bitter Zeal and Envy, and uncharitableHeart-riling and Strife o your Brethren pretending Truth, Or- thodoxnefs, or Religion for your (wellingEn- vy and Emulation, and talking and preaching down Love and Pease, to make thofe that dif- fer from your fide to teem hateful or contem- ptuous in comparifon ofyou, your profeffion of greater Knowledge and Religioufnefs is but proudboafting and lying againft the truth : this Wifdom, and this Preaching and Courfe; is not of God, not fach as he will own. It is from an earthly anal fenfual Principle, your own Ptaile or Profit or Magifteriai Will, or Tome carnal Intereß is at the Root ; ifyou could knout your (elves, you might fee this : Yea, it is fo far from excelling others, that it is a Devi- lî(h Wifdom, a Devilifh Zeal, and Devilith Preaching and Difputing which you glory in. 16. For where envying and ftrife is, there is confufion, and every evil work. it. For where envious Zeal and Strife pre- vail, there is Hill Faflìon and Unquietnefs, (or Sedition, Tumults, and Unfetledncf ßi11 for change) and this cherilheth all (hrts of evil es. of the Tongue. Ch. 4. Works, which Men will think to be all good or lawful; to ferve their contentious Zeal, and to further their changes and carnal ends. 17. But the wifdom that is from above is firft pure, then peaceable, gen- tle, and eafie to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without par- tiality,and without hypocrifie. 8.And the fruit of righteoufnefs is fown in peace of them that make peace. 17, 18. But if you would know among the feveral Pretenders, whofé Knowledge, and Religioufitell, and Zeal is from above, the fruit of the Spirit, which God will own, there are the faremarha of it. 1. It is firft for true Pu- rity of Heart and Life : It will not chufe Sin on any pretence, to far as Men can know ir. Ifany be for wilful deliberate conformity to Sin, or for a loofe and fenfual Life, or agamft ferious Godlinefs, and a holy, heavenly, (obey and juit Life, this is not from the Spirit of God. a. It is next to this addifted to Peace, and will leek it by all lawful means. 3. It is addiled to put the heft fenté ofanother man's cafe, and to a gentle and not a rigid cenforious Judgment. 4. Bally yielding to good Per- fwafions, and not Riff in ill Opinionsor Ways. s. Full of Mercy to others, and of all good l\torksor Fruits to his power, as being devo- ted to do good. 6. Without cenforious par- tiality, as Se&aries, that can fee nothing but what feemeth to make for their own Party and Opinions, (or withouta wavering unrefol- vednefs in theChrifianReligion.) 7. Without Hypocrifie or falle Pretendings. And tho' the erroneous and contentious in both extreams, do ufe to villifie or abhor Peacemakers,who ferve God according to this fepernal Wifdom, yet 'thee Men, Who labour to make Peace, are towingin this Work of Peace the fruit of true Righteoufnefì, as guilders ofthe Crimes of the extream Contenders, and of the Tumults can- fed by them : And when the Haryeftof God's Judgment cometh, they (hall reap this Fruit to themfelves : And if the Countrieswhere they liveareworthy of fuck Fruit, theymu(} reap tt. from this Seed of Peace-making Labours. CHAP.IV. I. Rom whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence even of your lulls, that war in your members ? 1. The ews are in frequent Seditious and Fightings among themfelves, in which many erroneous Chriftians join with the Unbelievers in a blind Zeal for their Law andNation. Anddo you think it is from true Zeal that their Wars ariee ? No, it isfrom their own fenfual woildly Lulls, that fitII war in themfelves, and thendi- ftueb the commonPeace. a. Ye
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