Burroughs - Houston-Packer Collection BX7233.B87 G67 1660

172 Rules for neighbour- peace, commend the caufe to God, and therefore God leaves them to themfelves, to bring fuch a Beale of trouble, both to them- felves and unto others. Fourthly , Let nothing be brought into publike view, be- fore private means have been ufed;whatfoever offence there\ is between one neighbour and another, yet obferve this rule, it's a rule that Chrifl tells us ; If thy Brother offend thee, tell him his fault between him and thee alone ; And if yet he con- tinues in his evili, then take two or three privately ; After- wards bring it to the Church. So that this concerns Chrifli- ans, that whatfoever offences fall out,fira private meanes is to be ufed , and we are not to make any infirmities, any faults of any of our Brethren known in publick, untill we have tryed private meanes : Indeed if the fault be publick,then there may be publick meanes ufed without any more adoe, but if the thing that is done be private, doe not you bring it into pub - lick, before you have ufed private meanes to htlpe. A fifth meanes of peace is this : O labour to Ingage one another in duties of love,make account that'tis a great bene- fit to you , if God offers you an opportunity to Ingage a neighbour to your felfe : we should fiudy peace. When men or women are Ingaged one to another, then they will not ea- fily break peace ; But when they live as orangers one toi'vards another , then every little thing makes them break the peace. Sixthly, Another rule is this ; If my good croffes my neigh- bours commodity, or conveniency, if any thing that I would have doe crofle the mind of my Brother, let me account it an afllióion to me ; though it's true, I may lawfully delire my right, yet if I find I cannot have my right without contention with my Brother, I fhould make account of it as a great af- fli6tion to my felfe ; Indeed God doth not deny men to Peek their right, but if they fee they cannot have it without their Brothers afliietion , they fhould account it an affliction to themfelves. Seventhly, Farther, Delight thou in doing good thy felfe, and rejoyce to fee others doe good, that's the way of peace. If

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=