524 CHARACTER OF A SOUND, pastor, or his master, than of theirs to him : he is 'much more un- willing to be disobedient to them in any lawful,thing,.or todishonor them, than to be oppressed, or unjustly afflicted, or abused by them. And all this is, because he. knoweth that sin is worse than pres- ent suffering ; and that he it not to answer for other men's sins, but for his own ; nor shall he be condemned for the sins of anybut himself; and that many millions are condemned for wronging others, but no one for being wvpnged by others; 1 Pet. iv. 12 . 16. Matt. v. 10-12. 1 Pet. ü. la. 15-17. 2. And theweak Christian is of the same mind in the main ; but with so much imperfection, that he is much more frequent in cen- suring others, and complaining of their wrongs, and finding fault with them, and aggravating all that is said or done against himself, when he is hardlymade so sensible of as great miscarriages in him- self, as having much more uncharitableness, partiality, and. selfish- ness, than a confirmed Christian bath. There are few things which weakness of grace' doth more ordinarilyappear in, than this partiali- ty and selfishness, in judging of the faults, or duties of others, and of his own. How apt are (not only hypocrites, but) weak Chris- tians to aggravate all that is done against them, and to extenuate or justify all that they do against another.! O, what a noise 'they make of it, if they think that any one bath wronged ,them, defam- ed them, disparaged them, or encroached on their right ! If God 'himself be blasphemed or abused, they can mdre patiently bear it, and make not so great a matter of it. Who heareth of such angry complaints on God's behalf, as on men's own ? Ofsuch passionate invectives, such sharp prosecutions, against those that wrong both God and men's souls, as against those that wrong a selfish person? (And usually every man seemeth to wrong him who 'keepeth from him any thing which he would have, or saith any thing of him which is displeasing to him.) Go to the assizes and courts ofjus- tice ; look into the prisons, and inquire whether it be zeal for God, or for men's selves, which is the plaintiff and prosecutor; and whether it be for wronging God or them,-that all the stir is made. Men are ready to say, God is sufficient to right himself. As if he were not the Original and the End of laws and government, and magistrates were not his officers, to promote obedience to him in the world. At this time how universal is men's complaint against their gov- ernors ! How common are the cries of the poor and sufférers, of the greatness of their burdens, miseries, and wants! But how few la- ment the sins against government, which this land 'bath been sadly guilty of! The pastors complain of the people's contempt: the people complain of the pastors' insufficiency and lives. The mas- ter complaineth how hard 'it is to get good servants, that will mind
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