* ' That; in A.
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with the austerities of religion (as some indiscreetly). 0, saith he, they shall have time to fast wheii I am gone, and strength to fast when the Holy Ghost is come upon them.
It is not the best way to fall foul presently with young beginners for some lesser vanities, but shew them a more excellent way, and breed them up in positive grounds, and other things will be quickly out of credit with them. It is not amiss to conceal their wants, to excuse some failings, to commend their performances, to cherish their towardness, to remove all rubs out of their way, to help them every way to bear the yoke of religion with gi'eater ease, to bring them m love with God and his service, lest they distaste it before they know it. For the most part we see Christ planteth in young beginners a love which we call ' the first love,' Rev. ii. 4, to carry them thi'ough their profession with more delight, and doth not expose them to crosses before they have gathered strength; as we breed up young plants, and fence them from the Aveather, until they be rooted.* Mercy to others should move us to deny ourselves in our lawful liberties oftentimes, in case of offence of weak ones ; it is the ' little ones that ai'e offended, 'Matt, xviii. 6. The weakest are aptest to think themselves despised, therefore we should be most careful to give them content.
It were a good strife amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none. The best men are severe to them- selves, tender over others.
Yet people should not tire and wear out the patience of others : nor should the weaker so far exact moderation from others, as to bear out them- selves upon their indulgence, and so to rest in their otvii infirmities, with danger to their own souls, and scandal to the church.
Neitherf hereupon must they set light by the gifts of God in others, which gi-ace teacheth to honour wheresoever they are foiand, but know their parts and place, and not enterprise anything above their measure, which may make their persons and their case obnoxious to scorn. When blindness and boldness, ignorance and arrogance, weakness and wilfulness, meet together in one, it renders men odious to God, it maketh men bm'densome in societj^ dangerous in their counsels, troublers of better designs, unti*act- able and uncapable of better direction, miserable in the issue : where Christ sheweth his gracious power in weakness, he doth it by letting men under- stand themselves so far as to breed humility, and magnifying of God's love to such as they are : he doth it as a preservative against discouragements from weakness, seeing it briugeth men into a less distance from grace, as being an advantage to poverty of spirit, than gi'eatuess of condition and parts, which yield to corrupt nature fuel for pride. Christ refuseth none for weakness of parts, that none should be discouraged ; accepteth of none for greatness, that none should be hfted up v^ith that which is of so little reckoning with God. It is no gi-eat matter how dull the scholar be, when Christ taketh upon him to be the teacher : who as he prescribeth what to understand, so he giveth understanding itself even to the simplest.
The church sufiereth much from weak ones, therefore we may challenge liberty to deal with them, as mildly, so oftentimes directly. The scope of true love is to make the party better, which by concealment oftentimes is hindered ; with some a spirit of meekness prevaileth most, but with some a rod. Some must be ' pulled out of the fire,' Jude 23, with violence, and they will bless God for us in the day of their visitation. We see our Saviour multiplies woe upon woe when he was to deal with hard-hearted •' Well-rooted,' in A. f ' Neither . . . simplest.' This paragrapli first added in B
AND SMOKING FLAX. 53
hj^Docrites ,Mat. xxiii. 13, for h^-pocrites need-= stronger conviction than gross sinners, because their -will is nought, and thereupon usually their conversion is \dolent. An hard knot must have an answerable wedge, else in a cruel pity we betray their souls. A sharp reproof sometimes is a precious pearl, and a sweet balm. The wounds of secure sinners will not be healed with sweet words. The Holy Ghost came as well in fieiy tongues, as in the lilceness of a dove, and the same Holy Spirit will vouchsafe a spirit of prudence and discretion, which is the salt to season all our words and actions. And such wisdom will teach us ' to speak a word in season,' Isa. 1. 4, both to the weary, and likewise to the secm-e soul. And, indeed, he had need have ' the tongue of the learned,' Isa. 1. 4, that shall either raise up or cast down ; but in this place I speak of mildness towards those that are weak and are sensible of it. These we must bring on gently, and drive softly, as Jacob did his cattle. Gen. xxxiii. 14, accordmgto their pace, and as his children were able to endiu'e.
Weak Christians are like glasses which are hui-t with the least violent usage, otherwise if gently handled wdll continue a long time. This honour of gentle use we are to give to ' the weaker vessels,' 1 Pet. iii. 7, by which we shall both preserve them, and likewise make them useful to the church and ourselves.