From the whole observe —
Doct. That brotherly reproof is a necessaiy duty, which all are bound to practise as well as they can.
I. Let us consider the kind of the duty which we are bound to enforce. Reproof and admonition is either authoritative and by way of office, or charitative and by way of general duty.
1. For reproof by way of office we have many scriptures : 2 Tim. iv. 2, ' Preach the word ; be instant in season, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine;' that is, urge them, press them, call upon them when they are at leisure to hear, and come together for that purpose ; or when thou hast any oppor- tunity to fasten anything upon them at other times. Labour still to convince the evil-doers of their wicked courses. This is the continual duty of ministers, and they must mind it e'y/caipa)?, a/cai/so)?, * in
SERMONS UPON LEVITICUS XIX. 17. 113
-season, out of season ; both when they liave probable opportunities, and when they take occasion, thougli they find it not ; when the hearers, it may be, think it not so seasonable : the recovery of souls must not be delayed.
2. Keproof by way of general duty, which lieth upon all men that are capable, and have the use of reason. Of this the apostle speaketh, 1 Thes. V. 14, ' Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men.' All these are duties of christian charity, which belong to private believers : vovOeTelre rov'; araKTov;, ' Warn them that are unruly.' Keproof is one of these duties: 2 Thes. iii. 15, 'Count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother,' vovOeTsire; set his duty in his mind. Again, all christians nmst contribute their help to preserve the church of Chiist from scandal and prejudice ; and therefore, when they see any man forsake his station and his work, tliey must admonish him of his fault, and never leave till they have reduced him into his proper posture and place again. Now there is a difference between these two duties ; for the one is not only an act of charit}^, but justice ; the other is an act of charity, and that general duty that we owe to a neighbour as a neighbour. The one is done by a superior, by virtue of his office ; the other is done by an equal towards his equal, or by a superior by virtue of his common relation. The one is done publicly by right dividing the word of truth, and giving every one his portion ; the other is done privately between us and our brother, that we may gain him according to Christ's rule. The one is done by public decla- ration, and the evidence of truth in their consciences, disapproving their evil deeds : John iii. 20, ' Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the ligiit, lest his deeds should be reproved.' The other is done by closer application, or personal charge for the sins that we have heard and seen : Gal. ii. 11, ' When Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.' The one requireth aptness of gifts, the other only christian prudence and a fervent charity. This latter we have now in hand,
II. The arguments by which we are to enforce it ; which are needful in this case, because men are so apt to bear with sin, both in themselves and others ; and this duty is of so great use, that Satan seeketh to hinder it with all his power ; and so hard to be done rightly, that most men quite omit it.
1. I shall prove it from the law of nature, which teacheth me to love my neighbour as myself; and therefore conscience bindeth me to reduce those into the right way who are gone out of it ; this is the obliging internal cause. We ourselves by a regular will, having erred, would be glad to be reduced, and set into the right way again : Jer. viii. 4, ' Thus saitli the Lord, Shall they fall, and not arise ? shall they turn away, and not return ? ' Is any man so absurd, heedless, and witless, that when he hath gotten a fall, will lie still, and not essay to get up again ? or that hath been unwittingly out of the way, and will not desire to come into it again, and be willing to receive direction from those that woidd set him rio:ht ? Now this being a dictate of nature, produced by God himself by his prophet, to aggravate then- apostasy, who having fallen by their sin, refused to rise and return, holdeth good
VOL. XIX. II
114 SERMONS UPON LEVITICUS XIX, 17,
also to others, whom we are to love as ourselves. And therefore, when they are fallen, w^e must help them to rise aj^ain ; and when they are turned away, we must help them to return. This is so niitural, that the very birds and beasts desire to return to their proper places in their natural and appointed time when they have wandered ; as the prophet speaketh of the stork, turtle, and crane : ver. 7, ' Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times ; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming.' Now, from that reciprocal obligation that is between men and the law of nature, we are bound to reprove our brother ; as we desire it, and expect it from tliera, to be set right when we are wrong, we are to pay the same debt of love to them again. The argument holdeth a fortiori, because in spiritual things the danger is greater, the good to be procured is greater, the evil to be feared greater. Yea, this argument is the stronger, because it holdeth good concerning the ox and ass ; not only of our own neigh- bour, but of our enemy ; as Exod. xxiii. 4, ' If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again ; ' and Dent. xxii. 1, ' Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox, or his sheep, go astray, and hide thyself from them ; thou shalt in any case bring them again to thy brother.' Surely hereby God would teach every man not to look on his own things only, but to love and do good to other men. This duty required towards beasts is much more towards men : Ezek. xxxiv. 4, ' Ye have not brought again that which was driven away, and ye have not sought that which was lost.' We are all like sheep going astray, and have need of one another's help. Mark, there are two precepts in Deut. xxii. 1 — a prohibition, not to hide, and a command- ment, to restore ; so that they are doubly guilty that are not affected with other men's sins, or do not seek to reform tliem.