Chap. 33 An *xpoftisn upon the Boa( of ,j o s. Verf. 32. chargedwith iniquity, are upon due,tryall found cleare andac- quitted. Pant whiled that all who heard him had beennot only almoft but altogether fuch as he, except his bonds, (Aas 26.2g.) leis a g-eat argument that a man is good and juft, when he hear- tilywiiheth that he whò'hath given occafion to others to think i11 ofhim, may at lafl appeare better then theythoughthim. Secondly note. Agoodmanfakes not vittiory but truth, and thegoodofthefe hedeals with. When he contends earnefily withothers, hedelires as earneft- ly that truth may gaine by that contention. Where a fpirit of firife & uncharitablenefs polfeffeth the minds ofamany men, they love to be vexing & trampling upon thofe they deale with, rather thenhelping and enforming them. This evillfpirit is thefamiliar of-this age ; That which.theApol+lefpake ( Phil. . 15. ) ofnot a. fewwhohad the name ofGofpe! Mintflers (fowse preachChrifb even ofenvy andfirife, andfume olioofgood will ; the one preach Chrift of contention, not fincerely) the fame maybe laid ',{ma- ny difputers and polemicall writers ; they doe it envioufly,they doe it out of love tó firifeand contention, not out of love either to truthor to thofe with whom they contendand flrive ; this isa bad fpirit, a fpirit far unlike that which ruled in Elihu, who wifh- ed that the fharpefl'repreheufions hegave fob, might end inhis juftification.. There flould be fuch a fpirit in man,contending with man,as there is in God contending with man ; who Both nor thunder again{} finners,becaufe he would have them perifh,or de- lighteth in their deftruehion but Both it, firfl, to awakenthem fecondly, tohumble them ;, thirdly, to convertthem ; fourthly, to juflifie them ; and laftly, to fave them for ever, I write not thefe things (faith the Apoflle, x Cor. 4. 14. )' to flume you, but as my belovedfuns 1warne you. As if.he-had faid, I intend' not to afperfe you, or throwdirt upon-you, .but ,only advife you to wipe offthe dirt that is cafl upon you, or.td keepyour felves out of the dirt. I would either be a means to cleanfe you, or provoke you to'-preferve yourfelves clean: Note Thirdly. It Ls oar duty to jug fiethofe whomwe oppofe n'hen theycan clear, themfelvee.. 487
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