Burroughs - Puritan 01030_v1

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586

Ruler'

how to

deale

with

wicked

men,

'qv

ayes;And

if

they

be

of

fuck

natures that

we find

by any

thin;

elie,thac

any

fofc

and

gentle

wayes will do

them good,certain

ly,

we

fhould

ufe

them rather

then fharp

wayes.

Eleventhly , The

more

(harp we

are:

at

any

time

in

our

dealing

with

others,

the

more prayers

we

fhould

ufe

;I

would

appeale

to

thofe ;both from the former rule and this, when

youu,

deale

with men

that

you are

exalperated

againfl,

doe

not

your

Confciences

tell

you ,

that

if

they

ihould

be

guilty of

fuch a

thing, that

a

faire

reafoning

the

Cafe

with them would

more

Convince

them then

if

you

fhould-be

(harp,

there

I

fay

we

fhould

look

to

our feives

,,

that

we

dog

,

Convince them

that

way.

We

íhould

ufe much prayer

;

never pray more

for

a

man or

woman,. then

when

you are

moll

lharpe

.

towards

them:

Let

your

ConCciences

tefltfae.this

to

you,_and.

then

you

will

have,peace That

you can

appeale to

God

in this,

that

though they maythink

you

deale

sharply with

them, yet

then

I

can carry

them

before the

Throne_of

Grace ,

and pray hear-

tily

for

them

:

And

if

they be

wicked

and

ungodly,thou

mayefl

pray

againfl

them,

,as

Paul did

again(' Alexander the

.Copper

-

smtth.

Twelfthly

,

Another Rule

may

be

this,

Be.ready

upon

the

acknowledgement of the

evil'

to Clofe with them

againe

:

you

i}iould

never

fo

(harply reprove

any,

but

if

they

(hall

be rea-

dy

to

acknowledge,the evill,you fhould be ready to

clofe

with

them,

and

blefle

God

for

them:

But

you

doe revile others, if

they

(hall come and 'acknowledge

the

evil'

that

you

fay

,

and

yeeld

to

you

hi that thing

you

fpeak againfl

them for,

nay

you

are the more

againfl

them, that's

a

figne

thou

art

a

Reviler

;

But

if thou

did'fl carry

thy felfe Gratibufly, and

the

other

comes

to

acknowledge

it

,,0

you

would

joyne

with

them,

and

bielle

God

for

them,

and

more be united to them then

ever.

Thirteenthly

,

Another

Rule

is

this,

That's

a

reviler that

fpeaks

evill of

another,

and

is glad

that

he

bath

fuch an

eviii

to

fpeak

of

him

;

This

is

nor one

that

reproves fharply

accord-

ingso

the

mind

of

God,

but

fuch

a

one

I

have

an

advantage

agamR him

in

fuch

a

fin;he.haith

committed,

and

I

am

glad

of

it,