2. He that doth not rebuke his brother when he doth anything amiss doth indeed hate him, not love him. There are two things which put us upon reproof — zeal for God's glory, and love to our neigh- bour's soul. There is a defect in our zeal if we do not seek to repair God's honour when it is wounded by others : Ps. Ixix. 9, ' The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that re- proached thee have fallen upon me.' Injuries done to God and religion affect us no less nearly than personal wrongs done to ourselves. So there is a defect in our love and charity to others to let them alone in soul-dangers ; and therefore reproof, as it is opposed to hatred, so it is opposed also to flattery, which is false and corrupt love : Prov. xxviii. 23, ' He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with his tongue.' When we are about to reprove others for their faults, we are afraid we shall offend them, and that all friendship will be broken off between us and them, and so are tempted to connive at others' sinful courses for fear of a rupture and breach with them. Alas! at length, though the party be displeased a little for the present, when he recovereth and cometh to himself again, he will see that you showed him the true friendship, whereas others that connived at or flattered him in his sins, however they sought to please his humour, hated his soul ; and they will love you the better for it, because you awaken them out of their sins, that would have been their eternal ruin. It is possible you may enrage a wicked and haughty scorner, but then you have discharged your duty, and freed your own soul. But for others, you get the more favour and thanks, because yon have done a true office of love. So that that which you are afraid will be an occasion of breaking off friendship, will prove a means to nourish love : Prov. ix. 8, ' Pteprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee ; rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.' Gain him to a sense of his duty, and he will bless God for thee while he hath a day to live. So Prov. xxvii. 5, 6, ' Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful
SERMONS UPON LEVITICUS XIX. 17. 109
are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.'
Open rebuke is when we' plainly, and sometimes sharply, convince men
of their errors or sins they lie in ; this is better than hidden love, for
that is of no use and profit to us. He that reduceth me into the way
when I go astray, and plucketh me out of the fire and water when I
am in danger to be drowned or burned, though he break an arm or
leg ; be that cureth my disease, though by a sharp and troublesome
medicine, doth me a greater benefit than he that professeth great love
to me, and lets me alone to perish, and will not reach an hand to pluck
me out, out of tenderness, as loath to trouble me. That is called
hidden love that doth not make itself known by the offices of love and
friendship, or for fear of offence will not warn a man of his danger ; it
is indeed true hatred. The next verse is to the same purpose. It
may be my friend wounds me, as the physician lets me bleed to cure
my fever ; he doth it in faithfulness. A sharp reproof is there called
' a wound,' but it is the faithfulness of my friend, not done out of rancour
or malice, with a desire to shame and reproach me ; it is intended for
my good; but ' the kisses of an enemy,' or one that hateth me and my
soul, ' are deceitful.' By ' kisses ' are meant the pretences of great
love to us, as Joab kissed Araasa, and stabbed him, 2 Sam. xx. 9, 10;
and Judas kissed Christ, and betrayed him. Mat. xxvi, 48, 49. Alas !
this love is but deceitful, whilst it betrayeth your souls. That this is
true love appeareth also, because thus God dealeth himself with bis
own children : Prov. iii. 12, ' For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth,
even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.' God loveth his
children dearly, but yet will not let them perish in their sins, therefore
sometimes heuseth a smart discipline towards them. Satan seekethtolull
them asleep by the delights of the flesh, but God awakeneth them by
the sharp corrections and rebukes of his providence. I will but
add David's expression, which showeth what thoughts he had of a
sharp reproof wisely administered : Ps. cxli. 5, ' Let the righteous
smite me, it shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove me, it shall be
an excellent oil, which shall not break my head.' David, perceiving
what mischief those unhappy flatterers that Saul had about him had
procured to him, beggeth of God as a great blessing that he might
have such godly and faithful friends about him as would never consent