Brother-ly A'iimonition. all forfaken him,and therefor-e the n~ceffity of A~ airs would.' nbr per.inir -l~m fu 1 e~pett a mo1:e rea~onable Addref~. Orher'Wife _ge~e rally, ! ir is more adVJfeable-to watt a fimng and cool tune. As God ts fa id to come down in rh · fOol •'of the Dnh eo rcproye-Adam. So likewife fhould we come in rhe cool feafon of a Man's Palltons, -when all is quiet and temperate within fo"r rh'en is there the grcarefi probability of SucceiS, ' · '-· Sec~rully, If thou wouldft have thy Reproofs fi.zccefsful, rep rove wich all ~?r~b[ ..G:mi~nefSand Meek1~efs, withom: giv ing any raili?g or rcvil_ing Terms. He th:lt ,vi~ Gm- mmgles Reprocrch With Re;n"OOf, engages a Mans Repurauon to fide with his tlerufs ,wd Vi_ces: Fo.r whil~ '!'e Ihew any Bitrernefs ~n our. Rrp!·oo[J;J.ndgive' rh'cm in vili~ Meekne{f. fymg and 1gnon11fliOUSLanguagej the Vehtde wtlllnnacr thC,Operation ofthe !Jhyfick. For they .will look ,like the upbraidings ofan Enemy; and itiS:arh'in'g ., . ·:moft abhorrent unto Nature,to-follOw the C:~untels and Advice,.ofan Enemy. AI] a Gal.~· 1 , there~o:e the Apoft/echargetll •~s, Bretkr~n, if a' Man be overtaken in a fault, ;·cuthat art {pmttMl, r'tjhJre {ucb nn on_e m the fpmt of ~eeknefi, c~nJitltring thJ [elf, leff thHt :· be .alfo tempter!. Whic.h lafi Clanfe intima~es ro _us~ that we .oughr t?deal as tenderly 1 wtth a fallen Brother, as w~ ~ould defi~e tp be dealt wtthour lelves,were we in ·' J. ~h<1.fame condition: For havinglh~ fame cor'rup~ Nature, and being fllbjed: to the · (.li~e Te~pt~t~ot:~s, we may Bf(~5vif'e, thf.ougb ~odrs d~relicti, on of us, f~ll into rhe -fame Mtfcarrmges.· Now-\VOuld ft thou take 'It well, tf anr Jhoutd · revile and· rer. ~ • prove thee, condemn thee for a rotten Hypocrite, as 'Job's Friends did him· o'r draw hideous black Confequences from ·evety failing and We3Rrlcfs of thi~c! " C errilinly thou ~ouldft _noc·i~terpret this .to b~ fr~~ndly and candid1de'aling: No more do thou wtch.. ol:hers. It ts a.Hue Saymgy'ifhat he who would know hi sown Faultsj had need have either a faithf.ul Friend, or-a: bitter EOemy; ·rhey will both be fure to do it to the full. But then the difference\is, that an Enemy Reproofs are ufually joyned with Rtpr~achu,. and w~en ~e are fallen~ He willfiand_ ~nd iillit~t over us.. Dut a true C~nfhan Frtend wtll fatchfully ~epreiem o~r coridmon to uS', pity us m ir, •and -e-ndeavour to help ~nd raife: ·us our of it. "And fuch fhould we :. be .tO' all, not raililig on thenlAor- Hypocrites, orloft and de~perate Apofiares.r; . for this certainly is not the wafto 'r.educerhem?"liut rather t0 c~mfirm ahrl hat1den . ·: rh~em in their Sins; we fhould not gripe nor prefs ~heir WouhMl ~tit-rathergef!rly ' anoint and~ chafe them. Our ReproOfs :llJOuld be af~il, fmootli.andlenitive; t? ,. loa~ into and fupple the Part affecl:ed . And therefbre the Ap,jllhgain exhorrs 2 , Tim. 1 , us, in meeknefl ~o inftruEl thofe that oppofe themfelve$, But whilfi we ~exclaim a:g:iinft 2)• .: ·\.~ 'rh:m·with bit;tCr lil\'ed:ives, 'and dif? ·~ll our ReproofJ·in Gall.a~d ~atyr, we ma,x · :;, qUtckly make- thent 'loath th~ Medtctne rather than the Dtfeafe, ' and fooper • t break ' their R eads with fuch .Rebukes, than th~ir Hearts for their Offences. . 1 -<•. -r:- 'Sthirdlj, THough our R.tprOoji lmufl be meek and gentlef" yet ·mufi they he Rtprooj ~ :.quick and. vivacioU-s.'alf.e. For as Charity requires the one, fo doch Zeal the o- ~"./! be ''. :cher :' And the'betb:ind moftequal Temper, is rightly to mix' thefe~wo, that a' !1~!t~~:~ on:ce·. we may ~;fuew Mee·knefs td his Perfon, _(for ~be f:Vrath ' o{~an '!'orkab no't James 1 , 'the · 'l~igbteoufnlfl qf God) and Sharpnefs agamft hts Stn, (for a remtfs Repro'- ~o. ver will bur.make.a flow Penitent.) We ought fo to reprove, thh.c he may not ·thifik we onlycjeil:.and dally with-him, and for this it is neceffary• ~hat we do ic ;With all Seriotilnefs; .Gravityand Authorit.y ; (not playing 'about' the Wound,_but . l fearching into-therVer·Y. dept.h' ·ana b6ttom_o;fic. And therefore we,muft u_fe'fuch r ...:".-l ,words as are tnofi•figmficant ·bf)our- meam~g, m?ft expreffive 9four Gnef ana 0 Sdrr6w for him,.and whicLl we think moft apt to expofe the:Jlit&thil:t we ref!ovr, .and make it rndib odious and hateful,keeping fiill within the .bo'un'ds of a fober Tit.J. IJ. ,and friendly. r R'ed~u!gution. )tf;Ience -the Apojlle gives Titm thiSAdvice,. Reb~ke t'lmri. jiJarplj, ·thdtthey may befiuntl in the Faith. Jf"they want Sale a'hd Vmega~. fpare them nor. This pollibly may cleanfe thofe Wounds that elf~ would fefter and purrifi:e. But here is 'requird much fpiricual Prudence to know hOW to fmc Reproif, according to the different Conditions and Tempers of the Perfons,You dea l \Vith. Some mufl be lancht and fearcht to the very Quick before they can be hte\!leil. Othernequireaigeo tle Hand. If they be proud:and !lubborh; they needO<lr· rofives. But for Chofe who are naturally meek and mild, a Jlleek·a-rid mild•Oourfe - will be eafieft 'and,mbft effectual. The Tempers and Cafes of par~i~ular Chriftians _are fo various,dlac there can be no Rules given chat may be apphcable to ev:rt Cohdition: Thismull of necellity be lefc to your P rudence and Difcretion. o;~~
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