il di 84 E hap.2z 4n Expofrtion upon the Book of J B. Verf.9' condemned him fo much , but only becaufe he indured fo much. They concluded him a man offinne, becaufe he was a man of forrow. The Apoftle gives us the true genius ofcharity ( Car. t 3.3, 4 ) Charity beleeveth all things not that charity is fo credulous as to take up every thing for truth which is featured by any common and ungrounded report ; that's no commenda- tion in any man, much leffe is it the commendation of a godly man,therefore when the Apoftle faith Charity believesh all things, the meaning is, Charity interpretsevery thing in the beft fence which it will beare ; and makes the faireft conftruftion which e- very mans cafe and condition will admit, And againe at the 5t1 verfe; Charitythinker no evil!; that is, it thinkes no evill ofo- thers ; As a godly man will not maintainevill thoughts, or fuffer them to lodge within him,in reference to any finne which himfelf is tempted to commit. So a charitable man will not maintaineor lodge evill thoughts of others, in reference to any finne which he canonly fuppofe that they have committed. -Againe, ascharity thinkes .no evil!, that is, it doth not plot evill againft others; fo thinksno evil!, by a rafh furmifing it ofothers. Thus, charity be- lames all's well, and thinker no evil. How uncharitable then are they, yea, howunjult who beleeves all's ill, where they know of none, and thinke the worft of them in whom they never taw any thing, but what was good ? It is not enough for a man to fay he doth not judge his brother malicioufly, he ought not to judge him ignorantly.Though to fpeakeor judge ill ofanother, becaufe we with him ill, be the greater finne,yet barely to fpeakor judge ofanother, by whomwe know no ill, is very finfull : And then'tis molt finfull, when we doe it not onely as not knowing. any evill they have done, but becaufe we know, heare, or fee the evills which they fuffer. 'Tis dangerous as well as improper to make the hardeft and harfheft dealings of God with any man, the ground ofour hard and harfh thoughts ofhim. Thirdly, Confider who they were whom 7o6 is fup. poled to have oppreffed ; they were not the great ones, not the mighty men of the earth, but the fatherleffe, and the widow.. Whence note; That the.poore are to/sally thefubjelf ofopprefon. The
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=