of depraved nature. If the best were not more beholden to the grace of God without them, than to the habitual grace within them, you should soon see that men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; to be put in the balance, they are lighter than vanity itself." (Psal. lxii. 7-9.) "For what is man, that he should be clean; and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold he putteth no trust in his saints, and the heavens are not clean in his sight: how much more abominable and filthy is man, that drinketh up iniquity like water!" (Job xv. 14—16.)

Object. 5. Oh, but if I had that consolation which you say God reserveth for our suffering times, I should suffer more contentedly; but I do not perceive any such thing.

Answ. 1. The more you suffer for righteousness' sake, the more of this blessing you may expect; and the more you suffer for your own evil doing, the longer you must look to stay till that sweetness come.m When we have by our folly provoked God to chastise us, shall we presently look that he should fill us with comfort? That were, as Mr. Paul Bayn saith, "to make affliction to be no affliction." What good would the bitterness do us if it be presently drowned in that sweetness? It is well in such sufferings if you have but supporting grace, and your sufferings sanctified to work out your sin, and bring you to God.

2. Do you not neglect or resist the comforts which you desire? God hath filled precepts, and promises, and other of his providences, with matter of comfort; if you will overlook all these, and make nothing of them, and pore all upon your sufferings, and observe one cross more than a thousand mercies, who maketh you uncomfortable but yourselves? If you resolve that you will not be comfortable as long as any thing aileth your flesh, you may stay till death before you have comfort.

3. Have your afflictions wrought kindly with you, and fitted you for comfort? Have they humbled you, and brought you to a faithful confession and reformation of your beloved sins; and made you set close to your neglected duties; and weaned your hearts from their former idols; and brought them unfeignedly to take God for their portion and their rest? If this be not

m Nemo illic (viz. inter maleficos) Christianus nisi plane tantum Christianus. Aut si et aliud, jam non Christianus.-Tert. Apol. c. 44.

n We lengthen our miseries by shortening of our duties; and the Lord keeps aloof from us, because we lie aloof from him.-Mr. Vines on Numb. xiv. 24. p. 23.

done, how can you expect comfort? Should God bind up the sore while it festereth at the bottom? It is not mere suffering that prepares you for comfort, but the success and fruit of suffering upon your hearts.

I shall say no more on this subject of afflictions, because so many have written on it already, among which I desire you especially to read Mr. Bayn's letters, and Mr. Hughes' 'Dry Rod Blooming and Fruit-bearing,' and Young's Counterpoison.'

CHAP. XIII.

USE V.-An Exhortation to those that have got Assurance of this Rest, or Title to it, that they would do all that they possibly can to help others to it also.

SECT. I. Hath God set before us such a glorious prize as this everlasting rest of the saints is, and hath he made man capable of such an inconceivable happiness? Why then do not all the children of this kingdom bestir themselves more to help others to the enjoyment of it? Alas, how little are poor souls about us beholden to the most of us! We see the glory of the kingdom, and they do not; we see the misery and torment of those that miss of it, and they do not; we see them wandering quite out of the way, and know if they hold on they can never come there, and they discern not this themselves." And yet we will not set upon them seriously, and show them their danger and error, and help to bring them into the way that they may live. Alas, how few Christians are there to be found that live as men that are made to do good, and that set themselves with all their might to the saving of souls! No thanks to us if heaven be not empty, and if the souls of our brethren perish not for ever.

But because this is a duty which so many neglect, and so few are convinced that God doth expect it at their hands, and yet a duty of so high a concernment to the glory of God, and the happiness of men, I will speak of it somewhat the more largely, and show you, 1. Wherein it doth consist, and how to be done. 2. What is the cause that it is so neglected. 3. And then give

• Read Mr. Al. Lapthorn's book called Spiritual Alms.'

some considerations, to persuade you to the performance of it, and others to the bearing of it. 4. And lastly, apply this more particularly to some persons whom it doth nearly concern. all these in order.

Of

Sect. II. 1. I would have you, therefore, well understand what is this work which I am persuading you to know, then, on the negative, 1. It is not to invade the office of the ministry, and every man to turn a public preacher: I would not have you go beyond the bounds of your callings. We see, by daily experience, what fruits those men's teachings do bring forth, who run uncalled and thrust themselves into the place of public teachers, thinking themselves the fittest for the work, in the pride of their hearts, while they had need to be taught the very first principles of religion. How little doth God bless the labours of these self-conceited intruders ! P

Neither do I persuade you to a zealous promoting of factions and parties, and venting of uncertain opinions, which men's salvation is little concerned in. Alas, what advantage hath the devil lately got in the church by this imposture! The time that should be employed in drawing men's souls from sin to Christ, is employed in drawing them to opinions and parties. When men are fallen in love with their own conceits, a and proudly think themselves the wisest, how] diligently do they labour to get them followers! as if to make a man a proselyte to their opinions, were as happy a work as to convert him to Christ; and when they fall among the lighter, ignorant, unsounder sort of professors, whose religion is all in their brain, and on their tongues, they seldom fail of their desired success. These men shall shortly know, that to bring a man to the knowledge and love of Christ, is another kind of work, than to bring him to be baptised again; or to be of such a church, or such a side. Unhappy are the souls that are taken in their snare! P Si quis dicat quia infirmi hi sunt ergo tolerandi; resp. cum Augustino. Non negligendum esse Christum propter infirmum, cum infirmus diligendus sit propter Christum; danda potius est opera ut proficiant et firmiores evadant in Domino; muniendi sunt ne seducantur; monendi nequis prætextu infirmitatis superbiæ carnis indulgeat; denique et ecclesiæ interest, ut infirmi bene sentiant de suis doctoribus et pastoribus.-Boger. in Epist ante Annot. in Grotii Piet.

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a Beatus qui venas susurri divini percipit in silentio ; quam bonum utique est homini Dominum expectare?-Unum cave; ne abundare incipias in sensu tuo, et velis plus sapere quam oportet sapere; ne forte dum lucem sectaris, impingas in tenebras ; illudente tibi dæmonio meridiano.—Bern. Serm. 90.

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Object. But why then do the most faithful, prudent, skilful members of the church turn to that side? Answ. Who is it that thus speaks, that may

who, when they have spent their lives in studying and contending for the circumstantials of religion, which should have been spent in studying and loving the Lord Jesus, do in the end, reap an empty harvest suitable to their empty profession.

3. Nor do I persuade you to speak against men's faults behind their backs, and be silent before their faces, as the common custom of the world is. To tell other men of their faults, tendeth little to their reformation, if they hear it not themselves. To whisper out men's faults to others, as it cometh not from love, or from any honest principle, so usually doth it produce no good effect; for if the party hear not of it, it cannot better him; if he do, he will take it but as the reproach of an enemy, tending to disgrace him, and not as the faithful counsel of a friend, tending to recover him; and as that which is spoken to make him odious, and not to make him virtuous. It tendeth not to provoke to godliness, but to raise contention; for "a whisperer separateth the chiefest friends;" (Prov. xvi. 28;) and how few shall we find that make conscience of this horrible sin, or that will confess it, and bewail it, when they are reprehended for it! especially if men are speaking of their enemies, or those that have wronged them, or whom they suppose to have wronged them; or if it be of one that eclipseth their glory, (Gen. xxxi. 1; Psal. xli. 7,) or that standeth in the way of their gain or esteem; or if it be one that differeth from them in judgment; or of one that is commonly spoken against by others; who is it that maketh any conscience of backbiting such as these? And you shall ever observe, that the forwarder they are to backbiting, the more backward always to faithful admonishing; and none speak less of a man's faults to his face for his reformation, than those that speak most of them behind his back, to his not answer himself? that they are to be esteemed neither prudent, nor faithful, nor skilful, whom heresies were able to change. And is that a wonder, that an approved man should after fall back? Saul, who was better than others, was after by envy overturned. David, a good man after God's own heart, was after guilty of adultery and murder. Solomon, who was furnished with all grace and wisdom from God, was by women enticed to idolatry. It was reserved only for the Son of God to be without sin. What, therefore, if a bishop, a deacon, a widow, a virgin, a teacher, a martyr, shall fall from the rule? Shall we, therefore, judge heresies to be truth? Do we judge of our belief by persons, or of persons by their belief? No man is a wise man but the faithful; and no man is greater than others, but a Christian; and no man is a Christian but he that persevereth to the end. Thou, as a man, knowest men's outside, and judgest what thou seest; and seest so far as thou hast eyes, &c.; but God's eyes are high: the Lord knoweth who are his.Tertul. de Præscript. c. 3.

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defamation. If ill-will or envy lie at the heart, it maketh them cast forth disgracing speeches as oft as they can meet with such as themselves, who will hear and entertain them. Even as a corrupt humour in the stomach provoketh a man to vomit up all that he taketh, while itself remaineth, and continueth the disease. (1 Sam. xxii. 9; Dan. vi. 3; Rom. i. 29, 30; John vii. 51.) It is Chrysostom's similitude. "

So far am I from persuading, therefore, to this preposterous course, that I would advise you to oppose it wherever you meet with it. See that you never hear a man speaking against his neighbour behind his back, without some special cause or call, but presently rebuke him ; ask him, whether he hath spoke those things in a way of love to his face: if he have not, ask him, how he dare to pervert God's prescribed order, who commandeth to rebuke our neighbour plainly, and to tell him his fault first in private, and then before witness, till he see whether he will be won or not; (Lev. xix. 17; Matt. xviii. 15, 17;) and how he dare do as he would not be done by.

Sect. III. The duty therefore that I would press you to, is of another nature, and it consisteth in these things following. 1. That you get your hearts affected with the misery of your brethren's souls; be compassionate towards them; yearn after their recovery to salvation: if you did earnestly long after their conversion, and your hearts were fully set to do them good, it would set you a work, and God would usually bless it.t

2. Take all opportunities that you possibly can, to confer with them privately about their states, and to instruct and help them to the attaining of salvation. And lest you should not know how to manage this work, let me tell you more par

Notandum est quod arguendi verbum exigit delicti explicationem et declarationem. Non dicit, Vade et vitupera illum, sed (Argue).-Musc. in Matt. xviii. p. (mihi) 420. Most of us are very ready to snarl at the faults that are in another man's house, or, at least, secretly in our hearts to censure them; but they that will well instruct and order their own families, are very few.-Musc. in Matt. vii. tom. i. p. 154; Prov. xxv. 23.

There is more knowledge and diligence requisite to reduce an erroneous man to the truth, than a sinner to righteousness. For you may easily convince a sinner, because he cannot deny his sin; but it is a most difficult thing to convince the erroneous, because he will not acknowledge his error, nor endure to be taught, as we see in this our age. For here are many hinderances, to which is added a bitterness of spirit, which, while it continueth, will stop up the passage against all teaching. For who will suffer himself to be taught of that man whom he believes not, and whom he hateth and contemneth in his heart?-Musc. in Matt. vii. p. 156. See next in him directions how to deal with the erroneous.