* 'To help . . . rule' not in B, C— G. I 'Estate' in B, C— G. t ' As" inserted in B, C— G. it ' That' added in B, C— G.
X ' And' omitted in B, C— G. ** ' Unto ' in B, C— G.
g ' And judj^ment' not in B, C— G. ft ' Of his favour ' in B, C. — G.
^ ' The flesh and the spirit' not in C. — G.
90 ■ judgment's reason.
be earnest, and zealous of good works. \Micn we find ourselves otherwise, think, Oh ! this is iiot the life of a Christian under the gospel. The gos- pel requires a more fruitful, more zealous carriage, more love to Christ. ' Anathema maranatha' belongs to him that loves not the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. xvi. 22 ; and therefore, when we lind any coldness to so grjicious a God, and so blessed a Saviour, let us condemn ourselves.
Sot. (3.) And lake the benr/U likcwhe of the juthjm-ent of others, if we would learn to judge ourselves thorouf/hli/ ; consider what others say ; it is one branch of the communion of saints to regard the judgment of others. Oh, it is a blessed thing to have others tell us of our faults, and as it were to pull us out of the fire with violence, as Jude speaketh, 23 ; rather to pull us out with violence, with sharp rebukes, than we should perish and be damned in our sins. If a man be to weed his ground, he sees need of the benefit of others ; if a man be to demolish his house, he will be thankful to others for their help ; so he that is to pull down his corruption, that old house, he should be thankful to others that will tell him. This is rotten, and this is to blame ; who if he be not thankful for seasonable reproof, he knows not what self-judging means. If any man be so uncivil when a man shews him a spot on his garment, to grow choleric, will we not judge him to be^ an unreasonable man ? And so when a man shall be told. This will hinder your comfort another day ; if men were not spiritually besotted, would they swell and be angry against such a man ? Therefore take the benefit of the judgment of others among whom you live. This was David's disposition, when he was told of the danger [inj* going to kill Nabal and his household ; when Abigail, a discreet woman, came and diverted him ; Oh, saith he, ' Blessed be God, and blessed be thou, and blessed be thy counsel,' 1 Sam. XXV. 32 ; thou hast kept me from shedding of innocent blood this day. So we should bless God, and bless them that labour by their good counsel and advice to hinder us from any sinful course, whatsoever it is.f
Sol. (4.) And then again, as a help to awaken thy conscience, go to ths house of mournin/j. That will help us by awakening conscience. Consider the judgments of God abroad in the church, and consider our danger at home, and labour to have our hearts awakened ; and then we will be ready to judge ourselves, when we keep our souls in a waking temper ; take heed of spiritual security above all things.
Sol. (5.) For our conrersion,\ let it not he with the world; for then we will justify ourselves, but converse with those that are better, and the light of their excellency will abase us, and make us to judge ovirselves. I have reason to be as good as they, to be as forward as they; what a shame is it for me not to do as they do ! To bring ourselves to the light of good examples, it doth much good to Christians, and makes them ashamed of their backwardness and dulness. Those that have false hearts they§ shun the company of those that are better than themselves ; who because they would have all alike, they besmear and sully others in their reputation, because they shall not be thought to be better than they. A base and devilish course ! Whereas a Christian labours to converse with those that are better, because he would grow better than himself ; take heed of a false heart in this kind.
Sol. (6.) Again, because I cannot follow the argument so fully as I
* ' In ' added in B, C. — G. t Qu. ' conversation ' ? — Ed.
t ' It is ' not in B, C— G. § ' They ' not in B, C— G.
^ The words ' a spot,' &c., blunderingly omitted in C ; and reads, ' If any man be so uncivil, when a man shews him to be an unreasonable man.' — G.
judgment's reason. 91
thought I shouki have done, when all those helps and directions perhaps are not sufficient, jo/u wltJi this-^ a desire th-at God would Iwlp us hij Ids own Spirit to search our hearts andjiuhfe ourselves; and complain to him of our corruptions and weaknesses ; as the virgin when she was forced, Deut. xxii. 26, if she complained, she saved her reputation and her life. So complain to God, Lord, I would serve thee, but corruption bears too great a sway in me ; and desire God to help us with heavenly light and strength, so shall we escape eternal death. Corruption is his enemy. [It isjf Christ's enemy as well as ours, and Christ, if we beg of him, will help us against his enemy and ours ; this should be our daily course and practice.