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172

THE PRIVILEGE

OF

TITS

tsE101.

x>;.

ingly; but

he

that

soweth

bountifully

in

his

distributions

to.the

poor,

for the sake

of

Christ,

shall also

reap

boun-

tifully

of

the

riches

of

glory, in the

great day of

reward,"

2 Cor.

ix.

6.

IV. Another

grace

which

only the living can exercise,

is,

charity

to

our

fellow-

creatures

under their

mistakes,

or

infirmities,

and

a charitable

and loving frame

of

spirit

to our

fellow

-

christians

who differ

from

us

either

in

prin-

ciple or practice.

Infirmities and

mistakes belong only to

the present

state:

This

life

is

the only time when

a

fellow

-saint

can

be

overtaken

in

a

fault,

and

when

we

are capable of

re-

storing

such a

one

in

the spirit

of

meekness.

It

is

here

only

that

the proposed motive has any room

or

place;

"

consider thyself lest

thou also be

tempted,"

Gal.

vi.

1.

And

though

we

are bound

to

maintain

an everlasting

aversion

to every

sin,

yet

we

should imitate and

honour

the

forgiving mercy

of our God,

by

speaking peace and

consolation

to

a

returning

sinner.

Be

not

too severe

in

your

censures, you who have

been kept

from

,temptation,

but

pity

others

who

are

fallen, and mourn over

their

fall.

Do

not

think or

say

the worst

things you can

of

those

who

have been

taken

in

the

snare of

Satan,

and

have been

betrayed

into

some

grosser iniquities.

When

you

see

them grieved and

ashamed

of

their

own

follies,

and bowed down

under

much

heaviness,

take occasion then

to

speak a softening

and

a

healing

word. Speak

for

them kindly,

and

speak

to

them tenderly.

"

Have

compassion

of

them, lest

they

be

swallowed up

of

over much sorrow,"

2

Cor.

ii.

7.

And remember

too, O

censorious christian,

that

thou

art

also

in

the

body,

it

is

rich.

grace

that

has

kept

thee

hitherto,

and the same

God,

who

for

wise

ends has

suf-

fered

thy

brother

to

fall,

may punish thy severity and re-

proachful

language,

by with

-

holding

his

grace

from thee

in the

next hour of temptation

;

and then

thy

own

fall

and guilt

shall

upbraid

thee

with

inward and

bitter

re-

flections, for

thy

sharp

censures

of

thy weak and

tempted

brother.

This

life

is

the

only time

wherein

we

can pity the

in-

firmities

of

our brethren,

and

bear their burdens.

This

law

of

Christ

must

be fulfilled

in

this world, for

there

is

no

room for it in the

next;

"

wherefore bear

ye

one

an-