JaS. III. 1.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JAMES. 273
the cross of Christ.' A good man taketh no delight to rake in a dung- hill, others' failings cannot serve his mirth and triumph : ' My soul shall weep sore for your pride in secret places/ Jer. xiii. 17. Censures are full of passion, but Christian reproofs of compassion ; such a dif- ference there is between reproving out of pride, and out of love and charity. (3. ) When the censure is unmerciful, and we remit nothing of extreme rigour and severity ; yea, divest the action of those exten- uating circumstances of which the matter is capable. The censure should be extended no further than what may be necessarily inferred from the fact ; jealousy collecteth more than is offered, but ' charity thinketh no evil,' 1 Cor. xiii. .5, ov XoyL^erao to kukov; it reasoneth no evil ; that is, doth not seek to make sins, but cover them ; as when an action is capable of two interpretations, it doth not fasten upon that which is evil, or interpret doubtful things in the worst sense, or conclude a sin from an inevident sign ; as Eli did from Hannah's fer- vency conclude her drunkenness, 1 Sam. i. 14, 15 ; or if there be evil in it, it doth not by undue surmises make it worse ; as judge the heart by the fact, or by one or more single actions infer a habit or malignity in the offender ; or if that be visible, it doth not prejudge their future condition. Though charity be not blind, it looketh upon things as they are ; yet charity is not jealous to argue things into what they are not. It is against all law and right to be judge and accuser too, and to hunt out an offence, and then censure it. (4.) When we infringe Christian liberty, and condemn others for things merely indifferent, this is to master it indeed, and lay snares upon the conscience — a wrong not so much to our brethren as to God's own law, which we judge as if it were an imperfect rule, James iv. 11. In habits and meats there is a great latitude ; and as long as rules of sobriety and modesty are not violated, we cannot censure, but must leave the heart to God. See Eom. xiv. per totum. (5.) When men do not consider what may stand with charity as well as what will agree with truth ; there may be censure where there is no slander. Many religious persons think they are safe if they can speak only of others what is true. But this is not all ; every evil must not be divulged, some must be covered with the cloak of love ; there may be malice in reporting the truth. An eager desire to spread a fault wanteth not sin : ' Report, say they, and we will report it,' Jer. xx. 10. Nay, if there be no ill intent, such prattle will come under the charge of idle words, for which we are responsible. The apostle forbiddeth ' whispering,' and ' meddling in others' matters ; ' at best it is but a wanton vanity. All that we do herein should be to promote some aim of love and charity, that the offender may be seasonably reproved ; or for some common good, that by the uncasing of a hypocrite others be not deceived and ensnared. (6.) When we do it to set off ourselves, and use them as a foil to give our worth the better lustre, and by the report of their scandals to climb up and commence into a better esteem. In the whole matter we are to be acted by love, and to aim at the Lord's glory. Well, then , look to yourselves in your reproofs, that they be not censures ; they are so when they are supercilious and magisterial, the issues of pride rather than love. Envy often goeth under the mask of zeal ; we had need be careful, especially in times of public difference. For remedies : — (1.)
VOL. IV. s
274 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. III. 2.
Cherish a liumble sense of your own vileness and frailty. Others fall sadly and foully ; but what are we ? ' we were as bad, Titus iii. 2, 3 ; we may be worse, 1 Cor. x. 12. Bernard^ telleth of a man that, hearings of a fallen brother, fell into a bitter weeping, crying out, He is fallen to-day, and I may to-morrow. (2.) Exchange a sin for a duty : 1 John V. 16, 'If any see his brother sin, let him pray.' This will be a holy art and means to spend your zeal with least danger and most profit.
Ohs. 4. From that hiowing that we, dc. A remedy against vain cen- sures is to consider ourselves, Gal. vi. 1. How is it with us ? Gracious hearts are always looking inward ; they inquire most into themselves, are most severe against their own corruptions. (1.) Most inquisitive after their own sins. ' The fool's eyes are to the ends of the earth,' always abroad ; like the windows of the temple, broad outward, nar- row inward ; curious to sift the lives of others, careless to reform his own. But with good men it is otherwise, they find deceit enough in their own hearts to take up their care and thoughts. (2.) Most severe against themselves. A good heart is ready to throw the first stone against itself, John viii. 4, 5 ; others can, with much heat, inveigh against other men's sins, and with a fond indulgence cherish their own. Hatred against the person doth but take advantage of the miscarriage to shroud itself from notice and censure ; and though they hate the traitor, yet they love the treason.