Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

eiIdmonition,Formedndrules thereof. 257 faithofothers. AndPfaLa6.The Lord iscontent to fet ouerthe debt due tohimlilfe to o- thers .And john makes this a fpeciall note, that wee arenotdying, ifwe loue the brethren. The third reafenthaf fhould mòuevs tomakehafte, is this: whileft finne is yet tender, greeneheaded,and fhamefaft,whileft it bath bloodwith blufhingin the face, whileftit is like a little afpe,or likea finals corde,it is wifedome to admonishthepartie ofit : otherwife it willfallout with vs, aswith the praaife ofan ancient Father,whoplantingone ycere, plucksvp the plant withonehand,who fetteringittwoyeeres,was faine topull it vp with bothhishands : but planting threeyeeres, liceviedboth hands and breaft ; at the length when it was a plantof foure yerresold, bee was conitraiueal to let it alone.So God would haue vs pull vp the finne whileft withone handwee maydoe it, not totanie,whilefttwo hands,breaft,and all willnot doeit forfeare ofnegligence weare toadmonish in refpea ofour felues,becaufe thefinne is onour (eere, that we admonifli not. The fame God that faith,forgiue thy brother ifheoffend,faith alfo,ifthy brother offend,admonillshim.Many would liane their faultsforgiuen,but notreproued : buthe finnethas deeply that repro- uetli not,as he that forgiuethnot: fo £carefull a thing it is not toadinoni(h. -g Itisa good thing whenwe fo takean admonition, as the admonition-takesvs. Paul Gal.z.ii,ii reprouesPeter openly,and records his'fault inhis epiftle: and yetPeter forall this calleth 13. himhis brother Pau,commending hiswifedome,his gifts and grace, acceptinghis admo- nition not as a blowwith a ftaftè, butasa nsolt precious bahne. But wee when afpotis !hewed to be inour garment, are readie to take vpmyre, and to cast it onhis cone, that poyntedat ourfpot : orfeeing fotnething in ourfaceby aglafl ,wdbe readie to breakethe glafie that (hewed vs ourblemish. Againe,when iveadmonish, wee (hall`meetewith force that will flatlydenie the fait : force will graunt the os%nce,but in part : forne will confefie the whole,but theydoe extenuate it. Forall which maladies, as good Phifitions,wee mutt not at the first vrge the molt forciblemedicines; butvie them in their degreeand place, that is,when morefauourable meanes preuailenot : iveemutt not withRéhoboamvie too ftrong á purgationat the firft,leaft our patients be netable tobeare it,butwe rathercaufe timo to bemore craiìe,tlìan rid themofany partóf their dsliafc. - CHAP. 2. Of theforme andrulesofChri(lien admonition. Hereare twoforts offins, forcegreater, lone lette : for Chrislians Ails. are neither Stoíckes norEpicures, for Paul oppofeth himfelfe to not eg5au. themboth,Aa.17.18.theyefteeme notall floors alike: Neither are theyall one with thofe which haue a bottomlefle charitie,who can count all euils infirmities. And there is a third fort worst of all,and theywill make curry fin a mote, and a beanie whenthey lift : the earth is a bearnein it felfe,buta moteto the skie.But we know that all finnes are not ofone last, Gen.15.Iwillnot6ringiù the Ifraelites tillthe meafureofthefunsofthe Amarites befull: So there is a full meafure,and a wanting usealnre,allhaue not onemeafure. When Paul (pea- keth ofa gangrene,and lobof a finne,whichhecalled) therottennes of bones,theynseane O i metta. there are dinersdegrees offinnes fpreadingin our fefh. AFather faith, föme finnes were diditmauus . (toured bythe blood ofhis hands,but others requiredhis heart-biood,loh.19. peccatumha- a Nowfor that inAdmonitionthis diftinaionoffin is notknownefome doe trouble be,. the cye,fomeputout theeye.Somc finnes there be that our brethrenmaypluck ont,fotne Turbare out- that are left to ourfelnesro pluck out. Truth it is,ifive confider curry finne as it is againft !um&e,ca. the maieftieofGod, we(hall fee itisnòmoteor light niatter,Matth.5 God efteemethone care. . iot ofhis lawmore than heauen and earth. Doth curry finne requirethe blood of Chrift ? Nibdleue ` how then can they bemotes,vnlefle weethinkehis blood tobea motelfo? As it is faidof quod prxpon: Baltafber in Daniel,fo it may be laidof entry one that finneth, Ifthy finnes- be weighed, it derarur mun . ìh thelofle of thy kinádome,euenof thekingdome ofheauen. do. Z 3 3 The

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