42 THE BRUISED REED are under the government of others, are ,most injured by waywardness and harsh censures, herein_disparaging and discouraging the endeavours of superiors for public good. In so great weakness of man's nature, and ~specially in the present state of the world, we ought to take, in good part, any moderate happiness we enjoy by government ; and not be altogether as a nail in the wound, exasperating things by misconstruction. Here love should have a mantle to cast over the lesser errors of those above us. Oftentimes the poor man is the oppressor by unjust clamours. We should labour to give the best interpretations to the actions of governors, that the nature of the actions will possibly bear. In the last place, there is something for private Christians, even for all of us in our common relations, to take notice of. Vv e are debtors to the 'veak in many things. Let us be watchful in the use of our liberty, and labour to be inoffensive in our carriage, that our example compel the1n not. There is a con1manding force in an example., as in Peter, Gal. ii. 1L A
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=