1 ;8 VERS.I9. AnEx( ofition, "IPithNotcs CHAP.I. great evil to contemn others gifts ; There. is none _fo wife, but he may receive fome b~efit by the~ifferent handling of what he him. felf knoweth: 'Iis an advantage to obferve the different breath– ings of the Spirit of God in divers inllrumems; Job wouldnot ' defpife the caufe of hi& ferv.znts, Job 3I; And as we £hould not contemn their gifts; fo we 0.1ould not contemn their judgments -,. In this being fwift to hear is condemned that Li'toyvliJp.o~Jvu, that private fpirit, and over-prizing of our own conceits andapprehen. fions, fo that we are not patient to hear any thing againll them~ Men are pf1Jfed up With their own minde, though it be Jlefhly and carnal, CoJ. 2. 19. They make aDarlingand an Idol of their own thoughts: The Apofile faith, I Cor. 14. 30. If a~ay thing be re– veahd to another that fitteth by, let the .fir(f hold hi& peace: You do not know what may be revealed ro another ; no man is above a condition of being infl:rutl:ed : DivideSelf from thy Opinion, and love things not becaufe they fult with thy prejudices, but Truth: Be fwift to he,zr , that is , .to confider what may be urged againfl: you. .. j 4• It noteth what we fhould do in Chriflian Meetings: They are apt to degenerate intonoife and clamor; We are allfwift to tpeak.._, but not to hearune another, and fo all our Conferences end in tumult an·d confufion, and no good is gotten by them; >~< Job 3 i I 9 Every mlnS *belly i& likf ~bottle full of Wind, ready to burft for L • ' "Vhtnt of vent. If we were as patient and fwift to hear as we are ready to.fPeak,., there would be lefs of rrrath,and more of profit in our Meetings. I remember, when aManichee contelled with Au. gufline, and with importunateclamor crye~ Hear me, hear me, the Father modefily anfwered, Nee ego te, nee tu me,fedamba audiamm Apoftolum; Neither hear me, nor I thee~ but let us both hear the Apollle. ~rwere well if we could thus reprefs the violences and impetuoufnefs of our fpirits; when one cryech, Hear me, and another, Hear me, let us both hear the Apofl:le, ~nd then we !hall hear one another; He faith, Be fwift to hear, flow to fPeak,. : \Vhen Paul reproveth the diforder and tumult that was in the Corinthian Affemblies, he advifeth them to fpeak tl.vrl fl.~f~' by turn or courfe, I Cor. 14. 27. And Verf. 31. Ye way all pro– phecy one by one, that all may-learn, and all be comforted; That e~ery one fhonld have free liberty to fpe<rk, according as their part :and turncame, and not in ahurry and clatter, which hindred both - · the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=