SECT. I. Of the Occasion and Method of this Chapter.

THE Method, in which I promis'd to range my Thoughts, obliges me, in the first Place, to give a plain and distinct Account of the Nature of Friendly Rep oof. This will, I doubt, take up more Room th [...]n I suspected, when I first resolv'd upon this Undertaking; but, however, 'tis so very needful, that it cann't be excusably past by: For it is impossible for any Wri­ter to represent his Sentiments, about any Subject, in a due Light, unless the Nature of his Subject be first rightly understood. So that, tho' we should lay down the straitest Rules that can be given concerning [Page 4]applying Reproof, they would be of no more Use to my Reader, before a just No­tion of Friendly Reproof has been founded in his Mind, than a Lecture about the vari­ous Motions of Light upon our Eyes, whence it is that we see so many Differences in Co­lours, would be to one born blind, who was always wholly devoid of the Idea of Colour in general. And truly the generali­ty have such a perplext Idea of the Subject of this Book, that, out of Pity to those mean Capacities, for whose benefit this Treatise was penn'd, I shall be forc'd to make use of that Length, in order to disin­tangle their Minds, which I do not at all delight in. And, moreover, which makes this Enquiry the more necessary, it may easily be observ'd, That the Irregular Con­ceptions which most Men always have had, and still do entertain, about Friendly Reproof, have prov'd very Injurious not only to the Fortune, but also to the Reputation of the Exercise of this Duty, as will shortly ap­pear. Since therefore this Enquiry is so necessary, we will immediately set about it.

Now our Misapprehensions in the pre­sent Case must spring from [...]her, first a too slight and scanty Defini [...]on of Reproof in general: Or secondly from confound­ing [Page 5]Friendly Reproof with other kinds of Christian Reproof.

Wherefore it shall be the Business of this Chapter to make the Nature of Friendly Reproof the better apprehended, by giving,

• I. A fixt and liberal Definition of Reproof in General: And,
• II. By pointing out the particular Cha­racteristick of Friendly Reproof, which di­stinguishes it from all other Kinds of Re­proof.

SECT II. Regulating the Thoughts concerning Re­proof in general, as it differs from Admonition, Censoriousness, and all manner of Ʋpbraiding whatsoever.

CArnal Prejudice and Inadvertence are the two principal Sources of Error; and doubtless either one or both of them have a great Hand in making the bare telling a Person of a real Fault, before his Face, pass so current with the multitude for a perfect Definition of Reproof, as for the most part it does.

That this lame Definition is one main Reason why Friendly Reproof is so very Nice and Difficult a Subject, and is very unac­countable, setting aside the great Mischief it has been the Author of, will, I hope, quickly appear to any but such whose great Affection for a Discharge from Duty, dressing up Sin in the Garb of Virtue, and for being honour'd at the same Time with the Title of Good and well-besigning Chri­stians, has brib'd them to shut their Eyes against Conviction.

For, to weigh it's Consequences: First, if this Account of Reproof is perfect, then Admonition and Reproof are one and the same thing; For if one Man admonishes an­other against, and the second reproves him for the Commission of the same Fault, after the first had admonish'd him against it, 'tis evident both these Persons told that third Person of a Fault to his Face: And 'tis as evident that he who admonish'd him, and he who reprov'd him, did two distinct Acts of Beneficence: But these two Acts are confounded by the foremention'd Defini­tion of Reproof. But, for Explanation's sake, we will dwell a little here, and be beholden to the Light of a few Instances for a thorough Discovery of the Difference between Admonition and Reproof. This I [Page 7]think is the more convenient to be done, be­cause they very often go together, are near-a-kin, and very like, and therefore often mistaken one for the other.

Admonition and Reproof are both of them extraordinary Acts of Charity to the Soul; they both aim at the Promotion of Virtue, and the Prevention of Sin. Speech and Let­ters are the sole Instruments of serving Vir­tue either of these ways. So far they both agree, their End and Conveyances are the same; but, nevertheless, there are other Circumstances, which make them very re­markably different.

For first, Admonition puts us in Mind of approaching Dangers, and is tender'd pure­ly to instil Caution and Circumspection in­to a Friend; it has an Eye to the future: But Reproof acquaints of past and actual Faults, and strives to beget in the Offender humble Acknowledgment of, and hearty and compleat Penitence for them. For in­stance, If I am aware that my Friend's Business happens to compel him, as he has regard, tho' but in a moderate degree, to his own or Family's Temporal Convenience, to meet some Company at some certain Times, who are inslav'd to a fondness for Intemperance, and so inur'd to the Scourges of Debauchery that Crapula's are no more [Page 8]than Flea-bites, or perchance Pleasures to them; and who design, when they have got my Friend among them, to be forcing Cups and multiplying Healths, not out of Loyalty and Love but a malitious Principle to carry on the Devil's Plot, and to tri­umph over infirm Constitutions, to whom excess of Liquor is not so portable; I will for the sake of his Welfare indulge my Jealousie of the State of his Soul, and admonish him of it, that he may be arm'd against the worst, prepare his Heart against the Temptation by Prayer, Deliberation, Consultation, Resolution, and other holy Aids and Policies. Thus, by Help of a loving Whisper, and a seasonable Memento, he may be made both humble enough not to run too hastily into Dangers, and also chear­ful, prudent and couragious enough, with a pious Trust in God, who by his Provi­dence has call'd him to the Conflict (even tho' he should be one naturally of a frail and limber Disposition) to resist and baf­f [...]e the Temptation, grapple with Importu­ [...]ity, Reproaches and a crafty Assault, which 'tis hardest of all to withstand; I mean their seeming Civility and pretend­ed Concern for his being fall'n into Melan­choly, which deprives him of all that Mirth and Pleasure which they enjoy, if we may [Page 9]trust the Surface, the loudness of their Laughter, the Pursiness of their Car­case without peeping within upon those growing Disorders of the Blood, which are very busie in preparing Aches and Pains for their last Years, and a more sumptuous Feast suddenly for Worms.

Briefly, my dear Friend, by this means may avoid their Vice without shunning their Persons, be courteous without being caught by their Flatteries, sociable without par­taking of their Sin, virtuous not morose, may save his secular Advantage without do­ing any thing which tends to the Loss of his Soul.

But, if for all this, or indeed tho' I had not admonish'd him, I find him vanquish'd by Drink when he leaves his Company, I think it my part to arrest the first Oppor­tunity, when his Faculties are recover'd, to reprove him for not parting with Men, 'till he had made himself like a Beast. This is matter of Fact, and therefore Matter of Reproof, not a mere possibility of Sinning, as in the Case of Admonition. A Foresight of Tempration makes Admonition seasonable, but only Complyance with Temptation makes Re [...]roof seasonable.

But, secondly, Admonition and Reproof differ in as much as Admonition may address [Page 10]to all the Faculties of the Soul, whereas Reproof can only meddle with the Memo­ry and the Will. Thus, for instance, if I foresee any Danger of my Friend's being ensnar'd into the Commission of any certain Sin, tho' he was never guilty of it to my Knowledge yet I judge it my Duty, as I am his well-wisher, to admonish him against it; if he has ever done it before, that he do it no more, and if he has not done it, to make him still the more carefully cherish and retain his Innocence. Perhaps he is not sensible that such an Action is a Fault; if so, my Admonition informs him that it is such by producing some positive Divine Law, or evidencing it by some clear Dedu­ction from some positive Divine Law, or from some common Principle or other, which all, or at least most and the soberest, Men grant to be a firm Basis of Arguing. When I thus admomish him, I do an Act of Charity to his Understanding: I implicit­ly instruct him in such an Admonition; I say implicitly, for I must acquaint you that Admonition and Instruction, tho' they may be coincident, as in the pre ent Case, are two different Acts, and as distinct from one another as Admonition and Reproof: For tho, when I admonish a Friend against a Fault, which he did not know was a Fault, [Page 11]I instruct as well as admonish him, yet since when I began to speak of this Fault, I considered him rather as one whose Soul was approaching to the Brink of Danger (being certain of this, that he was likely to be tempted) than as a Person who was ignorant that his Complyance with the Sol­licitation, foreseen by me, is sinful and per­nicious (for I was uncertain whether or no he knew that it is sinful) 'tis evident that this Exertion of Beneficence was casually, and therefore but materially Instruction, whereas 'twas designedly, and therefore formally Admonition. For tho' he had not been ignorant that▪ that Compliance with the approaching Temptation is sinful, yet my warning him of it at this Juncture, be­fore the Temptation accosts him, might have been useful by reason of other Circum­stances (and if it may be useful where there is no need of Instruction, then they are two distinct Acts) for tho' this my Friend has been told, and is convinced, that the Sin, which I apprehend him in all likely­hood a going to be strongly sollicited to, is a Sin, yet perhaps at that time he may be inconsiderate, his Imagination may be ob­noxious to Impostures, and may fancy some mighty▪ Purchase in shewing his Obedience to the said Sollicitation: His Memory and [Page 12]Recollective Faculty may be drowsie, nay perhaps in a dead Sleep. On all or any of these accounts my Admonition may be sea­sonable, as a charitable deed to his Imagi­nation, by painting to the Life the Defor­mity of the Sin which lies in wait for him, and the pitifulness of the Benefit which the commission of it can, at the best, bring him in, if that benefit be compar'd in the Ballance with the Favour of God and Con­science, which will be interrupted by his so doing: Now, 'tis advantageous to my Friend, in that Condition, with respect to his Understanding and Memory; at such a Season 'tis a good Office to both of them together; for by awakening the latter it puts the former into a due Posture of Con­sideration, which is the faithfullest Watch­man of the Soul.

Again, there may be a Time when my Friend may know such or such an Action to be a Sin, but nevertheless may not be aware of his being in instant Danger of being beleaguer'd by it, unless a Stander­by mind him of it, and consequently how well soever his Soul may be habitually pre­par'd against all Temptation, he cannot make such actual Preparation against that particular Temptation, unless he is admo­nish'd of it; for 'tis particular Admoni­nition [Page 13]that makes him capable of making such an actual Preparation as is necessary to coun­termine those crafty Devices, and powerful Politicks which the Devil and his Agents, both within and without him, may use to circum­vent and betray him into the Sin.

But lastly, suppose the Memory should be brisk, and the Understanding be not benight­ed by Ignorance, nor canker'd through Re­misness of Thought; nay, tho' he should have a Foresight of the Danger, yet perhaps the Will may be too pliant and flexible to the Temptation, which I perceive just lighting upon his Head: Perhaps 'tis a Temptation to that Sin to which the Soul yields soonest of all, a Sin to which his Nature, Education or Calling inclines him most. The Thoughts may be sound when the Affections lean awry: An ill Bent may be cocker'd in the Heart, when sound Notions flourish in the Head: He may want to be fortifi'd, tho' not to be in­structed. How seasonable Admonition is, when Matters stand thus, I need not add: All true Christians who feel Divine Sensations in them­selves find Temptations very painful to 'em, and consequently find it very difficult to row against the Tide of Temptation, when the Will is so treacherous. Thus you see how Admonition has to do with all the Faculties of the Soul; but Reproof does not reach so far. [Page 14]Reproof strikes not at the Understanding, nor at all tampers with the Imagination: No wise Man will reprove his Friend for Igno­rance, unless 'tis wilful; and then he re­proves him not for his Ignorance, but for his foolishly abusing the Opportunities he had to improve his Mind by Knowledge, which would have prevented that Ignorance. 'Tis uncreasonable to blame a Person for what could not be avoided. Ignorance consider'd abstractly from the Will is a Misfortune, not a Fault: A Pagan cann't be blam'd for not coming to the Lord's Table: 'Tis no Omis­sion of Duty in him, because he knew it not to be a Duty; but he may be justly reprov'd for being churlish or slothful, since the un­reasonableness of such Habits may be learnt in Nature's School, and for that Reason they are such Habits as lie open to the Condemna­tion of the Mind, unassisted by external Con­demnation. Faults only are the Subject of Reproof; now a Fault is, in more Words, any thing done or omitted with the consent of the Will, in opposition to that degree of Knowledge, which the Mind is in present possession of, concerning good and evil. Knowledge is presuppos'd before the Will is capable of offending: Now Know­ledge is the Subject of the Intellect, and there­fore where it is wanting it must be infus'd by [Page 15]Instruction, for the Intellect is the Object of In­struction. The Intellect is the sole part of Man which is capable of being assisted by that Help; whereas Admonition assists all the Pow­ers of the Soul, sometimes severally, and sometimes two or more of them together: All the Faculties of the Soul are the possible Objects of it, as I think hath been suffici­ently shewn: Whereas Reproof deals only with the Will and the Memory: The Will is the principal Object of its Relief, for it excites the Memory only, that the Will may be set to Rights. When one Man reproves another, he does not stand to tell him, That such an Action is a Fault (for he supposes that the Reproved knows that already, for otherwise it would be his Business to instruct, not to chide) but he puts him in Mind that he committed that Fault, lest he should for­get it, and so not humble his Soul and repent of it, that he may dread it the more for the future.

Briefly, Souls in the State of Danger are the Objects of Admonition; but Souls in a state of Actual, new-contracted Guilt are the Ob­jects of Reproof. Admonition promotes Vigi­lance, Reproof advances Patience, that Admo­nition against the Sin, after 'tis repented of, may take the deeper Root in the Mind and Memory.

Thirdly, Another Difference between Ad­monition and Reproof is this; the Subjects of Admonition are more than the Subjects of Re­proof: Admonition may safely meddle with Internal as well as External Acts and Habits: Whereas Reproof cann't safely touch upon any Faults, but those which are visible to the Senses; which we prove thus.

God's general Prohibition of Pride, Malice, Envy; &c. together with ev'ry individual human Creature's self-consciousness of his be­ing apt to be tainted with these malignant Di­spositions of Spirit in such and such Circum­stances sufficiently ascertains us that ev'ry Man is liable to be distemper'd with one or more of these Maladies, according to the Variety of Conditions to which he is obnoxious, un­less Care is us'd to fill the Pores of the Soul with Thoughts which are of a sufficiently Divine and Powerful Nature, to obstruct the Inroad of the Infection. For since God does nothing in vain, 'tis clear that he would not have prohibited those Habits, had he not fore­seen a Necessity of such a Prohibition; that is to say, that we should all of us, some time or other be more or less tempted to all or some of them by bad Spirits: And as his both gracious and general Prohibition of them suggests that ev'ry Man lies open to these Ar­rows of the Host of Hell, so does ev'ry Man's [Page 17]self consciousness suggest the same thing too (which was the second Proof hinted) since all Men are of the same Frame and Nature with ev'ry Man, as well internally as exter­nally (for God loves Uniformity in Works of the same kind) and therefore all do meet with such Injections, more or less, whilst they are here; tho' individual human Crea­tures different Use of their common Nature, and that common Grace which is tender'd to them all, to improve the common Faculties of the said common Nature (which different Use of the said common Opportunities qua­lifies them for different Degrees of particu­lar Grace) may make some Souls abler, and others less able to resist these Injections of the Devil and his Agents: For tho' God rewards an extraordinary Improvement of common Grace, with Additions of greater spiritual Strength, in proportion to the said Improve­ment, which makes such improv'd Souls the more difficultly passable to the Injections of the Devil; as also, tho' the notorious Abuse of common Grace lays the Souls of wicked Men more pervious to the Injections of bad Spirits, through the want of that Strength which decays by the diminution of particular Grace, of which God in just Judgment de­prives them, yet all are vulnerable in this state. When the Good shall enter into their [Page 18]ultimate State of Happiness, and the Wicked into their ultimate State of Misery; they may be both properly enough said to be in­vulnerable: For the Saints will be perfectly invulnerable there, where they will be out of the Reach of all Temptation, where no Devil can any more come near to assault them than they can find it possible to wound God himself, in whose Presence they continually dwell; and then the damn'd may be said to be perfectly invulnerable, because their Souls are all wound and anguish, and are not re­ceptive of more horrible Impressions from the whole Camp of Darkness than those Tor­ments which are inseparable to their state of Eternal Damnation. Now, as the Blest and the Damn'd will have invulnerableness com­mon to them both in their last State, so 'tis common to them both while they are in this State, as have not undergone as long a Trial as Providence has design'd for them, to have vulnerable Souls, as well as vulnerable Bodies. Indeed their common vulnerableness here does admit of Degrees, whereas invulnera­bleness admits of none, and the Good cann't be said to be as easily vulnerable as the Wick­ed, yet they are both vulnerable. Bad Spi­rits must be at more Expence to wound a good Christian than a bad one, yet the best Chri­stian is capable of being wounded. Now [Page 19]'tis this Universal Sense of the vulnerable­ness of Human Nature, taken in its full la­titude, that is to say, Soul and Body, some­times singly and sometimes together, which is planted by Nature in ev'ry Man's Mind, that warrants a tender and affectionate Jea­lousie, which Men, who have a judicious Kind­ness for their Friends, feel, at some Seasons, glowing in their Breasts for one another's Souls. Consequently, 'tis not only lawful but laudable to forewarn a Friend against those Stains and Pollutions of the Heart, Pride, Envy, Malice, Ʋncharitableness, Pu­sillanimity, Distrusting Divine Providence, Im­moderate Confidence in Self, &c.

Admonition against Pride and Elation of Spirit is seasonable when my Friend is on a sudden rais'd to a higher Preferment than he did or could expect: And if he should by some Private or Publick Revolution be brought to endure Hardship, to struggle with a nar­row Fortune or Contempt, 'twill be season­able to admonish him against giving Way to Dejection of Mind, Despondence, Discontent, Impatience, prostituting his Conscience, and the like: And whoever thinks himself above be­ing admonish against such hurtful Habits, because he is so happy as not to crouch un­der them at present, forgets his Make and State, forgets that he is of a brittle Frame, [Page 20]that he has a Soul that is as liable to be di­lapidated by Devils, as his Body is by the Hostility of any of the Elements: He for­gets that he is in a State of floating Circum­stances, a State of Cumber and Combat, where the Saints triumphant were former­ly militant: In short, he forgets that he is on this Side of Heaven, where many who once stood, have, for want of Vigilance, and probably, through the scornful Neglect of Admonition, in particular, desperately fallen.

But since 'tis given to no Man to know his Friend's Heart any farther than he can gather from his own Information, and the common Tenor of his Carriage; and, moreover since no Man is fatally proud when he is Rich, In­genious, Learned or in Dignity or great Esteem; or necessitated to envy his Thriv­ing Enemy, or hate his Competitor, or to blaspheme the Council of Heaven in Adver­sity, tho' all Men are too much in Danger of being dawb'd with such odious Qualities, it follows, that such internal Habits in particu­lar Persons are not capable of being reprov'd, unless the Owners of the Hearts infested with such Leprosies make an ingenuous Con­fession of such Internal Disorders, tho' they are in their own Nature worthy of Reproof: They are Subjects of General and unfixt Re­proof, but we cannot safely arraign This or [Page 21]That, or a Third Person, as guilty of them, because Hearts are inscrutable to human Eyes, and 'tis Wisdom not to sport with God's Prerogative.

Indeed, when we plainly see a Person car­ry himself too magisterially, and making a Theatre of his Heart by arrogant boasting; and a second make ev'ry inoffensive Word Fuel or Flame; or a third railing often against a particular Person behind his Back, this untoward Mien of theirs, licences us to suspect that Envy, Self conceit, or a quar­relsome Temper lurks and ferments in their Hearts: And because since we are Creatures capable of Suspicion, and conscious of the like Passions in our selves, when our animal Spirits undergo the like Agitations, we cann't help harbouring Suspicions arising from Pro­babilities: For probable Evidence is the clearest we can have of one another's Hearts: 'Tis prudent immediately to turn these Su­spicions into Charities, by admonishing Per­sons of such Conversations against the fore­mention'd ill Tempers of Mind: For it squares with our natural Notion of God's being a Good and Gracious Being, to believe that this Passion of Suspicion was planted in our Nature, to fit us to heal one another's Sores, not to make us dissociable and Devils to one another: But we should never hu­mor [Page 22]such Suspicions 'till they extort from us a positive Sentence, and indeed by admonish­ing we keep our selves from being betray'd into the Presumption of reproving in such a Case. Marvel not, Reader, that I said Pre­sumption, for tho' the Sentence may be mate­rially true, yet it cannot be formally equita­ble in. Man's Mouth, because he has no right to judge his Fellow's Heart, our utmost Rule of judging it by, being but Probability; for all Men must grant that Conjectures and Gues­ses are but fortuitous Judgments, and there­fore cann't be equitable, 'till Fortune and Providence can be prov'd the same Being. Whence we may discern, that tho' we may safely speak against Pride and such internal Habits, whatever they are, indeterminate­ly, as Ministers in the Pulpit, and Authors in Books, yet no Man can safely reprove an­other for Pride or any internal sinful Habit, because Faults visible to the Senses are the sole subject of Reproof in particular Persons; but internal Habits don't lie open to the Dis­covery of Sense, which must, I think, be granted to make a very remarkable Diffe­rence between Admonition and Reproof.

An Instance may make this clearer. Sup­pose two Persons, who profess to be my Friends, wrote two Books, one of them a trifling Pamphlet for the Socinians, or against [Page 23]this Government, which God created and still preserves in so marvellous a manner (I said created, for the late Revolution was so surprizing that the effecting of it can pro­perly be expressed by nothing but such a Term, which denotes an instantaneous Act of the Divine Power) or, in short, in Defence of any Opinion and Faction which aims at the Destruction of Peace in Church or State, I should think it my Duty, as a Friend (I don't pretend to inform the Magistrate what is his) to rebuke him sharply for contribut­ing much to the Interest of the black Re­publick below. This is a palpable Breach of Peace, and therefore gives just Occasion of sharp Rebuke. But suppose my other Friend compos'd his Book on an useful Subject, and fit to serve the Honour and Kingdom of Christ in their Hearts, who peruse it with that Attention, Mixture of Devotion, Can­dor and Condescension, which becomes wise and honest Readers, I should think it very proper to forewarn this Friend against over­rating himself in his own Thoughts for his Performance, or by reason of the Applause which it may be the Instrument of to him: And this I would do, as well knowing that the Devil is a very indefatigable subtle Ene­my: If he cann't discourage Men by Sloth, and a contracted Spirit from endeavouring [Page 24]to serve the Publick, he will, after their Ser­vice to the Publick, be flinging in some Idea's and Fancies into the Minds of Publick Bene­factors; which, if they are hospitable to, will grow into that dangerous Habit Pride, which makes Men idle and ridiculous by their haughty Carriage, which will lessen their Re­putation, and so lessen the Power of their Endeavours, by prejudicing People against their Persons: But now, if instead of Ad­monishing this Friend, I had arraign'd him of Vain-glory and Pride, as I did the other for his Heresie or Faction, I should have af­fronted God, by usurping that Tribunal which is proper only to Omniscience, and so by my Pride mist of doing that Good which my Admonition might very fairly expected to have done. In short, an Author of a Perni­cious Book is an Object of Reproof, but an Author of a Good Book is an Object of fre­quent Admonition against Pride and Vainglory.

Fourthly and lastly, Admonition and Reproof differ, because Admonition is given without any degree of Displeasure, but 'tis fitting to express Displeasure in proportion to the Fault, when we tender Reproof. The Use­fulness of Admonition is bottom'd upon the peccability of Human Nature: That which prompts us is Jealousie, a still and silent Pas­sion; consequently, to be angry with a Friend, [Page 25]while we admonish him, is to be angry with him, because he is peccable, which is very absurd; as absurd, we may be sure, as to charge God foolishly, and to note down the Defects of his Handywork: He did not make Man perfect in that sublime Sense in which he himself is perfect. That Liberty and Principle of voluntary Agency with which Man was invested as soon as he was created, is God's Work, essential to him as a human Creature, and therefore peccability or possibility of Sinning is the Work of the Creator; for a faculty of Acting Voluntarily implies a Power of a different Choice, and therefore Man's being a voluntary Agent im­plies that he may chuse which he will have, Life or Death, Good or Evil, for they are both set before him; that is to say, he may sin or obey, and if he is made so, that he may sin, then he is peccable, for by a pecca­ble Creature we mean only a Creature that may sin, not a Creature that must sin.

But when we reprove a Friend, we are warm with Grief to see our second Self chuse Evil, when he might as well have chose the Good: 'Tis monstrous Folly to abuse Know­ledge, and imploy Liberty in the Ruin of our Souls. Possibility of Sinning can by no means be remov'd from our Natures, 'till 'tis throughly compleated and glorified; indeed when we shall commence Saints, peccability [Page 26]will be as remote from our Beings, as possibi­lity of becoming Holy is from the Souls of the damn'd. Nevertheless, no one necessarily commits any particular actual Sin, which can­not be deny'd, unless we suppose Man rather a machinal than a voluntary Being. Now since no one fatally commits any visible Sin, tho' we are all originally unclean from the Womb, and since Guilt is the Bane of our Being, one Friend's Fraternal Concern for another's Welfare, will not only urge him to use all loving Arts to defend his Friend against approaching Temptations, by Ad­monition, but moreover compels him to be troubled in his behalf, whenever he sees him worsted by them; and Guilt being a Cala­mity which ev'ry Man has a Hand, more or less, in pulling upon his own Head; this Grief will naturally swell into Anger, since the offending Friend might have avoided it, if he had us'd his Powers as he ought. Be­sides too, Reproof has to do with the Will, a very refractory Faculty indeed; to be sure more or less perverse after any fresh Com­mission, which, for that Reason, cann't be handled to any purpose, viz. so as to be ma­ster'd in order to it's being rectified again by any but such a rough and rigid Passion as An­ger is, which speaks aloud, and awakens a Friend's Sense of his Misery, and want of ex­traordinary Discipline and Watchfulness. [Page 27]Whence 'tis clear that Resentment becomes Reproof, tho it ill comports with Admonition. This may suffice concerning the difference between Admonition and Reproof. But tho' I have insisted on it some while, yet I think my self oblig'd to give notice, that I neither pretend to have given, or did at all design to give, a full account of the distinct Nature of Admonition, which, God assisting, shall be the Subject of a particular Treatise: But thus much I thought necessary to premise in this Place to distinguish Reproof from Admoni­tion, because I have observ'd that those few Authors, who have been prevail'd upon to speak a little, too little, I'm sure, of Reproof, have confounded it with Admonition, which has made their Discourses about it, to say no worse, fruitless and insignificant. But since Admonition and Reproof differ in so many re­spects, 'tis manifest that the foremention'd Definition of Reproof is very imperfect, be­cause it confounds two distinct Acts of Spiri­tual Beneficence, which is of a very pernici­ous Consequence.

For first, He that takes these two Acts for one and the same Duty, must take it also for granted, that when he has discharg'd one he has discharg'd both, so that he ll either con­tent himself with Admonishing his Friend against complying with Temptations, with­out ever reproving him for actual Comply­ances [Page 28]with them, or else he'll only reprove him for actual Transgressions of Divine Pre­cepts, without ever admonishing him against those ill Propensions and inveterate Disorders of the inner Man, which are the sole Sources of all the Irregularities of the Tongue, and all our other active and social Faculties.

Nay, moreover, secondly, This curt De­finition of Reproof, by confounding Admo­nition with it, not only affronts the Law, by lessening our Duty, and impairs human Vir­tue by contracting our Charity, but it also fondles one of the most scurvy Humors which disturb Conversation; for it gives a Patent to Censoriousness, even that odious, turbu­lent, pestilential Vice, Censoriousness: For let Admonition and Reproof be once allow'd to be the same, the pragmatical may censure with Authority; for since a Friend may safely admonish another against such or such an ill Biass of Mind, a Man may also, according to their Notion of Reproof, innocently re­prove a Person for an internal, invisible, vici­ous Inclination, by which Reproof he inclu­sively denominates him guilty, in such or such a degree of Discontent, Self-conceit, Envy, Vain-glory, or any the like malignant Dis­position (I say in such or such a degree, be­cause the subject of a particular Reproof must be visible enough to have it's Aggravations ponder'd, that the Resentment of the Re­proof [Page 29]may be proportion'd to the Size of the Fault) which cann't be done without passing Sentence upon the Heart, where none but God and Conscience have a Right to decide Cases: No Hypothesis can be found which reconciles Quarrelsomness and Charity, Vice and Vir­tue, Duty and Disobedience, and attempts to make us believe that 'tis possible to please God and the Devil the fame way. He who censures his Friend to extort Occasions of Re­proof, tho' he should judge right, judges so but by good hap; he might as well have play­ed the Slanderer, for Man is a very blind Judge of his Neighbour's Heart. Wherefore such a Method is but doing Evil that Good may come of it; 'tis to commit Sin to do our Duty, please the Devil for fear we should displease God, a very gainless Entrance upon a Christian Office without doubt. This is a necessary Caution here; for tho some are so malicious as to effect such gross and pal­pable Errors, yet there are others ignorant enough to be led aside and deluded through Simplicity; and doubtless 'tis not an Entan­glement so inconsiderable that weak Minds can be quickly extricated from it. When Censoriousness and Reproof are dissembled to be of the same Blood, scrupulous Christi­ans will either reject the Duty, through ha­tred of the Sin, or run into the Sin for love of the Duty; the latter Choice too, which [Page 30]is the worse, is most likely to be preferr'd; for ordinary Christians, when they're cramp'd are apt to be dazl'd into Sin by the gaudy Prospect of doing a good turn, when they should stand still a little, and thereby take Care not to be impos'd on by the glittering Appearance of the stoln Robes of Zeal, lest when patient Examination has sounded the Allurement, it be discover'd to be Sin in Dis­guise. They are rash and turned about by Pretences, they will pretend mightily to do good by Reproof, when in Truth they reprove not at all, but only busie themselves to create Mischief and Contention, ill Words and ill Works enow by their Censorious­ness.

But 2. If bare telling a Person of a real Fault, before his Face, is a perfect Definition of Reproof, then unmannerly Exprobration is so, for he that upbraids a Person of a Fault, must be own'd to tell him of that Fault. But alas! should we grant Upbraiding to be Re­proof, how strangely must we needs blacken Reproof? What a monstrous Opinion of this excellent Duty must it needs beget in Men's Minds? for, according to this Standard, a treacherous Familiar, who blabs out the lesser Faults and Infirmities of his Friend, among his Enemies, if it be but before his Face, may be said to reprove.

Nay, even Solomon's Fool, the prophane Scoffer, who makes a Mock at Sin, and hits his Friend on the Teeth with his Failings, on­ly to feast on his Shame, and make Pastime on his Wretchedness; this Burthen, I say, of the Community, may, with the rest too, cloak his Villany under the fine Name of Reproof. Away therefore, with a Venge­ance, with such an account of Reproof which gives Sanctuary to Atheistical and Pragma­tical Men.

We have hitherto been setting a Mark up­on all Counterfeit Reproof: 'Tis Time now to seek out for some more tolerable Defi­nition of Reproof, that we may rub out those Stains which some giddy Pretenders have so industriously dropt upon this excellent Duty. Reproof then, in general, is the telling any Person of his Fault, with a peculiar Regard to the Advancement of Virtue, in such a man­ner as comports with his Relation to the Offen­der, who tells him of the Fault. The Know­ledge of the proper Methods which must be us'd to serve this great End by Reproof, is di­verse, according to the peculiar Nature of the Reproof: For there are several kinds of Reproof, of which we must necessarily give some brief Account, before we can lay down a plain and clear Notion of Friendly Reproof. This therefore shall be done next.

SECT. III. Giving a brief Account of Divine Re­proof, both General and Particular: And Human, viz. the Civil Magistrate's [as the Royal and Judicial] the Eccle­siastical [as the Bishop's] the inferior Minister's, the Husband's, Parent's, Tutor's, the Patron's, the Master's, Casual and Friendly Reproof consider'd, as distinct from all the rest.

ANother Cause which was assign'd for Men's wrong Notions of Friendly Re­proof, is their confounding it with other kinds of Reproof. Wherefore, having, I hope, already said enough to rectifie their Conce­ptions of Reproof in general, I beg, your At­tention to a brief Summary of the several sorts of Reproof, together with a plain ac­count of the distinct Nature of every one of them, that you may with the greater Ease distinguish them among themselves, but espe­cially from Friendly Reproof: And to prevent Offence, I hereby desire you to remember, That Friendly Reproof is the sole Subject of this Essay, and for that reason not to expect any Directions about the Management of the [Page 33]others. I freely confess that I have no Ta­lent, neither does it become one in my Sta­tion to offer Advice to Bishops and Magi­strates, neither does the Title-page promise to give any Rules about any but Friendly Reproof; and I hope it can be construed Pre­sumption in no one to pretend to understand the Duty of a Friend, since Friendship is a common Relation to all who obey Nature's Instinct to a rational Sociableness. In short, my sole Reason for mentioning the rest is, that you may discriminate this from them, lest I should seem by urging Friendly Reproof thus at large, without marking down the Distinctions, to confound Clerks and Lay­men.

Reproof is either Divine or Human. The Divine is General or Particular. General, as first, the publick denunciation of God against all sin, in the Writings immediately inspir'd by his Spirit: And secondly, the Conviction of Universal Conscience, that innate Sense of the Eternal Unreasonable­ness of some Actions, which checks us in the doing them, and causes an Uneasiness in bad Men, in their first entrance on sinful Cour­ses, and which tears their Minds with such terrible Lancinations, when they consider and Reflect upon their Offences. Particular, as the Checks and Convictions of ev'ry Man's particular Conscience, attended with more [Page]or less Horror or Remorse, according to the different Circumstances which mitigate or aggrandize the Offender's Sins, and the Mea­sure of the Operations of the Divine Spirit, whose Incitements to Repentance in particu­lar Hearts, may very fairly be reckon'd one sort of Divine Reproof. This latter is the more extraordinary Reproof; but 'tis hard, perhaps impossible to assign a Point where the natural Remorse terminates, and the Spiritual begins. But there is no need of insisting on the Divine Reproof: This cannot involunta­rily be confounded with Friendly Reproof. I hasten therefore to speak of the Human.

Now Human Reproof is of several sorts, for there is the Civil Magistrate's [as the Prince's and the Judge's] the Ecclesiastical Ma­gistrate's [as the Bishop's] the Inferior Mini­ster's, the Husband's, the Parent's, the Tu­tor's, the Patron's, the Master's, Casual and Friendly Reproof.

The first that occurs is the Civil Magi­strate's Reproof. To know the peculiar Na­ture, Necessity, and (by consequence) Law­fulness of this Reproof in general, we must consider that tho' all Sins, be they greater or less, either in Number or Quality, make ev'ry Man a worse Member of a Common­wealth than otherwise he would be, yet there are some Offences and Crimes so noto­rious, and which have such a fatal aspect [Page 34]upon the Prosperity and Peace of a Kingdom, that by reason of the anomalous Tempers of some dissociable and rapacious Wretches, there could be no safe or steddy Commerce in the World, if they were not restrain'd by the Shame of Publick Cognizance and the Dread of Political Sanctions, prohibiting Vices which tend directly to the unhinging Government, and quiet Neighbourhood in the World. Without the Protection of these Laws we could not plant in Peace, or sow with Hope: We could neither enjoy the Fruit of our Hands, nor the Merits and Treasures of our Ancestors, without conti­nual Fear of violent Usurpation, and being hastily dislodged, not only of our Possessions, but of our Bodies too, by Men of bloody and wild Desires. Now the Magistrates are the Guardians of these Faithful Guardians of our Lives and Liberties: They execute their Commands, and so act the noble part of the Patriots of the Kingdom. This is their Cal­ling and Profession, and a great and honour­able one it is: Their Reproof of such hor­rid Crimes is not given so much for the sake of the particular Offenders as of that Con­tract and Intimacy which they have enter'd into with the Laws.

The Temporal Magistrate's Reproof may be divided into Royal and Judicical.

The Royal Reproof in our Monarchical, the best kind of, Government is, when the supreme Magistrate, either of his own ac­cord, or in concurrence with some Resolu­tion of that great Council and Fortress of the Realm, the Parliament, issues out Pro­clamation against such and such Vices, and threatens agreeable Penalties to be under­gone by all who commit them. Now this sort of Admonition is General and an Implicit and unfixt Reproof, because in forbidding such and such Practices, with Menaces annext against the Committers of them for the fu­ture, it tacitly and inclusively expresses a Displeasure against the said Practices, and all who have indulg'd themselves in them be­fore, tho' the Persons reprov'd are unknown and unnam'd. Thus Kings are said to be Ter­rors to evil doers, attending continually upon this very thing, viz. to be the avengers of the Publick upon them who do evil, that under them we may lead peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty. Princes therefore reprove their Subjects for these Vices, as they are Fathers of their several Countries, and because they have a tender concern for the Welfare and regular Order of them. Love for Souls, Affection for Religion ought to be the Cardi­nal Motive of all Reproof whatsoever. But that which particularizes the Prince's Reproof, is his Zeal for the good of a set number of [Page 37]Human Creatures consider'd, as they consti­tute the same Community. Whence it fol­lows that the Royal Reproof has primarily an Eye to the Temporal Prosperity of the Re­prov'd, because Communities are only cap­able of Temporal Rewards. They always flourish and decay at the long-run, according as Virtue or Vice has the greatest Head in them. This is unavoidable; for how other­wise shall we be able to vindicate to our poor Apprehensions God's Government and Admi­nistration of the Human Universe? What will become of the Equity of his Proceed­ings? Shall not the Judge of the whole Earth do right? Shall not he, whose Nature is the Exemplar of Virtue, confer proper Rewards on it? But if virtuous and vicious Commu­nities cann't be rewarded and punish'd here­after, our natural Notion of God's infinite Justice obliges us to believe that Kingdoms are more or less prosperous as they are more or less virtuous; but it is evident that it is impossible for Polities, as Polities, to be judg'd, rewarded or punished after this state. For tho' Polity itself will survive it, yet the Polities that are now by reason of the diffe­rent Preparations which the different indi­vidual constituent Parts of them make for the other World, will be then irreparably dis­solv'd. Besides, Catholick and National Righteousness, not only by God's Blessing, but [Page 38]if I may so speak, by the Decree of it's own Tendency exalts a Nation; and, on the con­trary, Sin is, by its natural Tendency too, the Destruction of any People, and supplants the Throne, by naturally centring to an opposite Point. So that it is not only the Duty, but the Interest of Princes to discou­rage and reprove Libertinism.

Her most Gracious Majesty (whose late Decease turn'd our Feasts into Mourning, and hung the Hearts of all those true Christi­ans, who were true Friends to the English Sion, in Sackcloath) express'd a maternal Care for her Subjects in those Pious Letters which she sent to the Justices of Middlesex, for the vigorous carrying on a National Re­formation; and I heartily wish that those whose extraordinary Judgment, eminent Stations, and other Opportunities licences them to be guilty of such an useful Presum­ption, as the reminding them frequently of their weighty Obligation thereunto, would pleasure his Sacred Majesty, the Tower of Europe, under God, by an unwearied confor­mity to that excellent Command. Sure I am, unless that late dismal Frown of Heaven find more success upon the Minds and Manners of the ungrateful People of this Land than the rest have found, those Catifs of Unconstancy, who can requite God's Kindness with no­thing but Murmurs, will, without the Inter­posal [Page 39]of such unusual and undeserv'd Mercy, which God has display'd to this Island during the present Reign, for his Name's sake, and the sake of two such excellent Princes, ap­prehend something quickly, which will draw a Veil of black Darkness over their Faces. Oh! may they at last learn to be as wise in this their Day, as they are already in their own Eyes, and to prize the Peace of our Je­rusalem, before Mercy is for ever hid from their Eyes.

The Judicial Reproof is the inferior Magi­strate's Reproof of any Person or Persons, who are detected to be guilty of such and such Crimes, after they had been fairly forewarn­ed against them by the Royal Reproof; and because that Reproof did not prove power­ful enough to keep them within Bounds, the Judge or Justice inflicts some Pecuniary or Capital Punishment, or other, which may for Pain and Disgrace match the Criminal's Offence: This he is oblig'd to do, in Obe­dience to the supreme Magistrate, from whom he receiv'd his Commission: 'Tis his Fidelity to his Prince, which peculiarizes his Re­proof.

As for Socinians and others, who hold Ca­pital Punishments Ʋnlawful under the Evan­gelical Dispensation, they manifestly repre­sent the Christian Religion to introduce and abet Anarchy: For since all Men are [Page 40]not overaw'd into Innocence by the Belief of a future Judgment, some are too unreason­able, to let any Government be secure unless they are brib'd by the terrible Apprehension of a visible Tribunal: Nothing strikes them but what is sensible and present. Since there is so much Disorder even now, what would the World be but a Chaos, if such Inflictions should be laid aside? Our Blessed Lord could never design Christians to omit that Discip­line which Gentiles and Jews have constantly observ'd: If Christ has ty'd up the Magi­strate's Hands, so that he cann't conscien­ciously defend innocent Subjects from the Fury and Outrage of the Injurious and Blood-thirsty, 'twill be impossible to clear the in­spir'd S. Paul from the Guilt of a Lye, who expresly tells us, That the Power holds not the Sword in vain; which is such horrid Blasphe­my that it cann't be mention'd by any mo­dest Christian without horror and trembling. In short, Capital Punishments and Christian Charity agree very well, since Malefactors are executed for no Crimes but those which have a direct malign Influence upon Commu­nity: For it is unreasonable to think that Charity can flourish upon the Ruins of King­doms. The Magistrate being thus severe to some few, is clement and equitable to the whole.

But perhaps you may admire to see the Judge's Condemnation call'd Reproof: But however, if we look narrowly into the Use and Design of it, 'tis such, and a very terrible sort of Reproof, I confess: The good God grant that neither You nor I, Reader, may ever plunge our selves into such a Depth of Guilt as to stand in need of this Ferula.

That the Judge's Condemnation is one sort of Reproof, will appear, if we consider, First, That no Human Condemnation is a final Condemnation: And, Secondly, That those notorious Malefactors (who, in all probability were sear'd, so as never to have come to any sense of their Spiritual Danger, and who, for that Reason, would, without the Application of the rigidest Methods al­ways have persisted in the pernicious Course of Life, ev'ry Day growing worse and worse, till some Disaster or other had hurried them down headlong into the nethermost Hell, in a desperate and impenitent Posture of Soul) are allow'd more or less Space of Time be­tween the Sentence of Death and the Hour of their Execution to repent in. And if we consider, Thirdly, That the finding them­selves stopt, together with the Chariot-wheels of Life, in their Villanous Career, by the Magistrate's Authority, is the most likely means to incline such obdurate Wretches [Page 42]to Repentance; for if they are not utterly past feeling, this Consideration must cut deep, and work upon them, to make the best Use of their sorry Quantum of Time, by Restitution, Acts of Sorrow, Humilia­tion, Faith and Devotion. And farther, if we consider, Fourthly, 'That this abor­tive Repentance will both warn others the more solemnly, and give some Hopes of Salvation to the Offender, since we cann't but grant, in the Fifth Place, That the least Degree of Penitence and Hope waiting upon such Repentance, is far better than perfect Impenitence and Despair; because tho' we should grant that it would be no Breach of Moderation to believe that this Degree of Re­pentance cann't procure Interest enough in the Court of Heaven to get a Ticket of Je­sus for their Admission into that Place, yet I cann't think it a piece of Rashness to assert, That 'twill help to mitigate their Torments in Hell which does some Kindness to the Cri­minals, and renders them more useful Ex­amples of Justice to the Spectators of their tragical End, whose Satisfaction, Safety and Admonition is the main End of their being executed. For the severest Infliction which does not leave those, on whom it is inflicted, wholly hopeless, as to their Eternal Happi­ness, and may serve to discourage Vice in those of their Fellow-Creatures, who are [Page 43]yet in a Capacity of determining God's final Sentence upon their Souls by their demean­our here, either to the Satisfaction of his in­finite Justice, or the Pleasure of his infinite Mercy; which capacity all the Spectators are still presum'd to be in possession of. Nay, who knows but the eternal Incubation of God's fiery Wrath upon the Souls of the De­vil and the Damn'd, after their final Con­demnation, may be one great means after the Day of Judgment of the Eternal Confirma­tion of Angels and Saints in their State of perfect Beatitude? What will be irreversible Punishment to Fiends, will be admonition to the blest above, and probably of as great Use to the Saints and those Angels who never apostatiz'd from God, as Reproof was to the Saints in this preparatory State, where they got the mastery of their Corruptions. But not to digress, the Premises, I think, being seriously consider'd, the Judge's Condemna­tion of Malefactors may very properly be call'd Reproof. But since the Judge's Condem­nation may be properly enough term'd Re­proof, the inferior Inflictions of the Civil Magistrate may very properly be plac'd in the Number of Reproof, since they don't so much as include an Abbreviature of the Cri­minal's stay here, after which all our Endea­vours to avoid the final Condemnation, or to lessen the Weight of it will be in vain.

The Ecclesiastick Reproof offers it self next.

'Tis two-fold. First, The Bishop's or Spi­ritual Magistrate's. Secondly, The Inferi­or Ministers. By Episcopal Reproof I mean the Church Censures; the Subjects of this Reproof are not only enormous Crimes, the Capital Laws of the Realm, but Prophane­ness and avow'd Heresie, scornful Contempt of the Lord's Supper, and such like; because any who are obstinately Guilty of these Crimes, are scandalous Members of Christ's Catholick, but especially of that National Church, with which they profess Commu­nion, and are Excommunicated by the Bi­shop, or punish'd by some lower Mulcts. according to the Aggravations of their Crime, by the Bishops, who are the Spiritual Fathers, and do reprove such disor­derly Members thus, not only to reform them (for the blasphemous are mostly too obdurate to learn not to blaspheme) but for the Credit and Safety of that Church, over which they preside, because a desperate Disease requires a desperate Cure. But tho' the Recovery of the ejected Mem­bers is very Hopeless, yet the Ho­nour of the Church may be secur'd. Such strict Discipline is necessary, to shew that the Immoralities and fantastick Opinions of Hy­pocritical and Lewd Professors are not encou­rag'd and seal'd by the Church, but are the [Page 45]Creatures of their own imperious Lusts and Ambitions. 'Tis necessary that Infectious Members should be branded with a Mark of Infamy, to the end others may avoid them, 'till they are got quit of their Murrain, if they are not incurable. The Ecclesiastical Magistrate's Reproof is an Act of Fidelity to the Church, in which he is a Provincial or Diocesan Prelate.

The Private Minister's Reproof is either his condemning any Sin or Sins in general before a whole Congregation; by which De­nunciation He Publickly, but, nevertheless, Indeterminately (for this is no proper Season to apply a particular Reproof) reproves all there present, whose Consciences testifie si­lently against them: Or, secondly, his re­prehending particular Persons in his Paro­chial Circuit: 'Tis his Office to reprove both in Season and out of Season. A fervent Ar­dour for the Improvement of his Flock in Goodness engages him to do this: 'Tis in­cumbent on him upon the account of his Su­sception of the Pastoral Care. The chief Subjects of his Reproof are, His Parishioners Neglect of the Publick Worship, irreverend Behaviour in the Temple, infrequent or te­merarious Celebration of the Eucharist, ap­parent Fruitlesness under the Ordinances, Omission of Family Devotion, neglecting to instruct their Children in the Principles [Page 46]of Religion, indifferency as to the Minds and Manners of their Servants or Children, &c. A Minister reproves, as the Angle or Messen­ger of GOD, and as the Embassador of JESUS CHRIST. He is not only the Feeder but the Inspector, Moderator and Discipliner of the Laity committed to his Tuition, according to the old Use of that known Phrase, [...]; and therefore a peculiar Freedom of Speech becomes him: His Gown and Unction bespeak Veneration to his Reproof, from Persons of all Qualities and Degrees: He may reprove often, and without Offence, and needs no familiarity with the reproved party beforehand, to gain him Authority, and Permission to do so.

Come we now to speak of the Husband's Reproof. The Husband has a Right to re­prove his Wife, by virtue of the conjugal Relation. He is her Superior not only by Sex and Order of Creation (for Adam was first form'd, then Eve) but her Lord (so Sa­rah call'd Abraham) by Marriage. The pro­per Subjects of his Reproof are Instances of wry or profuse Management of Oeconomi­cal or Houshold-Affairs: The Chief End of Marriage is to procure a Family, and to keep it regular and in decent Order. The Hus­band is to provide Necessaries for the Fami­ly, and when he reproves his Wife he has a [Page 47]peculiar Eye to the good of his Family: He knows that the Manners and Welfare of his Children, Inferior Relations and Servants, that are under his Inspection, hang very much upon the good or indiscreet Conduct of his Wife, and therefore watches her Carri­age the more closely, for she is Governess of the Family just as he is her Governour. Hence it is, that to be much at home, has been always reputed a great Character of a Woman.

PARENTS have a Right to reprove their Children, not only because they are inferior to 'em, but also upon the Score of a proximate and consanguineous Relation. Their Reproofs enter with great Advantage, and therefore, if they please, they may re­prove very successfully, and do a great deal of Good with their Tongues this way, for tender Years are easily suppled. Good God! what Cruel Monstrous Creatures are some Parents, who, tho' they are call'd upon by their own Bowels, a Tenderness planted in them by the immediate Hand of Nature, to correct and reprove their Children (and thereby prevent ill Customs, which take fast Possession in green Years, when their Minds are very malleable and docile, and conse­quently tenacious of any, but especially bad Impressions) can so unconcernedly let their Souls run to Ruin for want of due Correcti­on [Page 48]and mature Reproof! Parental Reproof is an Act of Fidelity due to Nature, and there­fore the Omission of it is a horrid Crime indeed. 'Tis a hard Case that those who have not Judgment enough to make clear Di­stinctions between Good and Evil, should be nurs'd up for Hell, only for want of such a cheap Alms as Reproof, and that too from those who brought them into the World. How many Children may at the last accuse their Parents of having coupled together meerly to gratifie natural Instinct? Sure such Parents don't consider that these corrupt Off-springs of theirs are obnoxious to Eternal Damnation, unless good Counsels dye their Minds betimes with good Tempers. After one overgrown Vice has beggar'd, another disgrac'd, a third diseas'd their Children, and all together have Rack'd and Tortur'd their Minds with restless Passions and ineffa­ble, but fruitless Agonies; then you may hear them cry, That they're heartily sorry that they were so neglectful: But alas! then 'tis too late, then their own and their forlorn Posterity's Curses are the just and dire Rewards of their barbarous Fondness.

The best Prescripts, Preparations and An­tidotes are of no use when the Poyson has impostum'd the whole Man: If you would countermine it's Rage to any purpose, with­stand it's first Onsets. Dangerous Diseases must be strangled in Infancy; for when those venomous Seeds which seem small and con­temptible at first, have been long let alone, 'till they are grown and multiplied, they be­come too sturdy and masterless to be sub­dued. Ev'ry Fault in Youth is a Pestilence in Embryo; and ev'ry Repetition of the same Fault is a Step to a vicious Habit, and ev'ry vicious Habit is the Addition of a Round to an Eternal State of Hostility with God.

There was never such a thing as an upstart Devil. A Creature is an effect appropriate to Omnipotence, and therefore tho' there's no need of Omnipotence to uncreature a Creature, yet no Being can uncreature him­self in a Moment; and since a high degree of Wickedness ripens a Soul for Hell, where they become the Devil's Vassals for ever, and consequently cease to be God's Creatures, with those Devils who tyrannize over them, a presumptuous State of Wicked­ness [Page 50]cann't possibly be a sudden Attainment. Wise Parents therefore will rather take care to stifle Sin in it's Birth than despise the least Beginnings of Vice, since a budding Vice may be crop'd with Ease by the Hand, which when 'tis become inveterate will require the Aid of Spade and Mattock, and the Cost of a great deal of Sweat before it be rooted up.

TƲTORS are the Vice parents of their Pupils, and therefore by reproving them they not only consult the Honour of their own Instructions and Methods of Education, but also approve themselves faithful both in the Sight of God and Men, to their natural Parents, who trust their Children in their Hands; which is the chief Circumstance that specifies a Tutor's Reproof.

PATRONS reprove their Dependents chiefly, for the sake of their own Benefi­cence. By so doing they act the faithful Bursers of God: They manifest that they don't give partially, prodigally and at Ran­dom, or purely in Obedience to a pliable Temper, without being the least solicitous for benefitting their Country by their Boun­ty. They thereby shew that 'tis their Endea­vour and Ambition to bestow a polite Edu­cation on such whose rich Advances in Know­ledge and Virtue promise brave Servants to the Church and State.

MASTERS hold a Right of Reprov­ing their Servants by their Servant's volunta­ry Submission of themselves to their Dictates and Commands. 'Twas their own and their Parents Contract, That they should live in Obedience. 'Tis from their Masters that they learn to get a handsome Subsistence in the World, by Skill and Industry in some honest Calling; and therefore 'tis great Fol­ly and Ingratitude in them to be stubborn and surly when they are reprov'd. The Christian Doctrine assures us, That Servants should be subject, not only to the good and gentle, but even to froward Masters, and construes it no Glory (so easie and fitting is it) to be patient when they are chastiz'd for their Faults. But if Stripes and Buffetings are patiently to be born with, much more ought Medicinal Reproofs be contentedly re­ceiv'd, since their Masters are oblig'd in Point of Fidelity, Duty, Care and Love to reprove them.

All the foremention'd sorts of Reproof are special relative Duties, and of a very solemn Nature; and so far Friendly Reproof agrees with them. But there remains one sort of Reproof more, of which we must say some­thing before we can conveniently speak of the Reproof of a Friend, which differs from all the rest, and that is Casual Reproof.

Reproof may be call'd Casual when the Re­prover neither reproves as a Magistrate, nor as a Minister, nor as a Husband, nor as a Parent, nor as a Tutor, nor as a Patron, nor as a Master: In short, upon no other Obligation or Relation than those general ones of the Man, the Fellow-Creature, and the Christian. 'Tis call'd Casual, because 'tis given by Chance, without Fore-thought, nay sometimes without knowing what the Person is whom we reprove: There is no Plot laid beforehand, no Season pitch'd upon, no Opportunity watch'd for; but the Offender is reprov'd without Stratagem and Preface upon the Spot. The Subjects of this Reproof are (to use S. Paul's Phrase) works of Darkness; that is to say, Words and Acti­ons which are not sit or tolerable to be spoke in Company, or to be done in the Sight of the Sun; such as are too offensive to be born with by the Light, unless among the Scum or brutisher Part of Mankind. Of this Nature are all Filthy and Unclean Hints, Lascivious Motions, rash Oaths, hellish Bla­sphemies and Execrations, prophane Deri­sion of the Sacred Scriptures, consecrated Places, dedicated Men or sanctified Days. There is but little Hope of such Persons be­ing reform'd by such Reproof, and therefore they are not reprov'd so much for their own sakes as for the Company's good and Admo­nition: [Page 53]A Man must express his Abhorrence of Atheism and Licentious Talk, as he is but a sociable Creature; for there can be no continuance of sound Society, unless such exorbitant Tenets and Practices are openly and unexceptionably discourag'd and explo­ded in all Company. These are the horrid Sins in which the Apostle so far disallows of our Partaking with the Committers of them, that he commands us to reprove the Haugh­ty and Scornful Abettors of them, who shake Hands with Wisdom to pass for Wits; and indeed, not to reprove them, is in some degrees to be Partakers of their Sins. Si­lence, without doubt, is Connivance in such a Case, and therefore a perillous Omission of one of the main positive Duties of the Tongue. What Love can that Man have for exemplary Virtue, who does not find himself provok'd by such notorious Vice, and freely vent his Abhorrence of detestable, barefac'd and impudent Wickedness, when God and Religion are made Themes of Jest and scurrilous Raillery? 'Tis true, there is a furious and over-hasty Zeal, which is devoid of Prudence, and therefore not commenda­ble; but 'tis also certainly true that there is a publick and generous Zeal, that is consistent with Civility, Prudence and good Manners. Lukewarm People may talk as they please, and harangue very much in Commendation [Page 54]of Prudence, whilst, in the mean while they donn't so much as understand wherein true Prudence consists.

PRƲDENCE is the wary and pra­ctical Application of that Degree of Wis­dom, which we have in the industrious Pro­motion of those Designs which we are most ambitious to see accomplish'd. The Diffe­rence between Wisdom and Prudence is this. Wisdom is Knowledge, as it is treasur'd up and lies unactive in the Intellect. Prudence is the eliciting it into Action, the seasonable Use of it upon an Emergency. And in­deed this practical Faculty of Circumspecti­on is us'd to different Purposes, according to our different Degrees of Faith. Those whose Belief and Assent flows solely from their Eyes, that is to say, who are purely sensual, employ it to dishonest Ends, to gra­tifie their Inclinations, to enjoy those things which seem beautiful and lovely to the Sen­ses, such as Covetousness, Ambition and Vain-glory, because the praise of Men pleases our Ears, and a Heap of Riches is pleasant to the Eye. Now their dextrous Use of this comparative Faculty to such Ends is, properly speaking, nothing but Carnal, Unlawful Prudence, or, to express it in one Word, Craft, which proceeds from a culpa­ble Self-love, a partial Love of themselves, consider'd abstractly from the Human Com­munity, [Page 55]merely as they are sensitive Crea­tures, and ally'd to Brutes. Such Men act with a sole regard to that gross Body which they will wear only in this perishing State; and therefore will do nothing which tends at▪ present to the diminishing their Wealth or the Shipwrack of their Reputa­tion with the Crowd (which, if we would please in an Age when most are lewd, we must omit many Duties, the Observance of which would promote the Honour of God, and the Spiritual Grandeur of our own Minds) tho' indeed they will many times scorn the good Opinion of their Fellow-Creatures, if they cann't enjoy it, and some vile Gratifica­tion at the same Time: And without Doubt their Sentence must be dreadful at the last Day, who think that Credit is too costly a Victim to be devoted to God, which they can very readily sacrifice to their own Lusts. But those whose Faith is more extensive, and is freed from the Fetters of Sense, who have a commanding Sense of the Divine Excellen­cies, whose Understandings and Expecta­tions are made more spacious by the Prospect of a future State, who really believe that God is Spirit, and that the Similitude of God is stamp'd on that part of their being, which is so bright and fine that it escapes the Sight of our bodily Eyes. Those, those, I say, subject the Estimation of their Body [Page 56]to that of their Soul, and, in short, make their Temporal seeming Interest give way for the Advancement of Religion, and the continuance of the Honour and Com­placence of God with them, in which their real and eternal Interest is wrapp'd up. In them the Use of their natural Faculty of comparing Circumstances is, in the Dialect of God and Nature call'd Prudence. Immo­derate Lovers of Self abuse this Faculty: They who love themselves subordinately to the Love of God, that is to say, love them­selves not as sole, separate, independent Beings, but as being related to God and his Creation, use it wisely and religiously. We are in the first Place to take care that our Love of God be the supreme Love, that we may ply all our Faculties to his Glory, like truly affectionate Creatures; and since Re­proof may promote his Glory, we are to re­prove. Now the knowing and being fully satisfied that the Promotion of his Glory ought to be our first Aim and chief Endea­vour, is Wisdom. Moreover, since he is a God to Order and Season in his Works, and has invested Humanity with a proper Fa­culty to distinguish Circumstances and Sea­sons, that our wise Ends and Endeavours may prove successful, 'tis incumbent upon us not only to reprove, but to take Care to reprove at fit Times and in a fit manner, [Page 57]which is the Exertion of Prudence. And whenever we reprove without due regard to Season, tho' our Reproof may prove as clear from carnal Prudence, and shews that we have more regard for the Universal Reputa­tion of Religion than our own private Esteem among others; yet we may very properly then be said to be imprudent, and thus a Man may be wise without Prudence. On the contrary, those who don't reprove when they might have done it, without any Breach of what Reason calls Civility, being car­nally prudent, may very well be said to be prudent without Wisdom. But the truly cir­cumspect Christian is both wise and prudent: He will nether let the Offender escape his Reproof, nor reprove an Offender in the heighth of Passion, or when his Faculties are supplanted by Intemperance, not because Reproof will displease them then (for the Wicked are displeased with it when they are sober) but because if he consult the Nature of things he cann't but know that in such a case no good purpose can be answer'd by the hazzarding his Reputation, and that unsea­sonable and misapply'd Reproofs (especially if they are of a casual nature) do more Mischief to the Credit of the Duty it self than could have been satisfied for by all the Good which it might have done, tho' it had been well manag'd, and crown'd with desi­rable [Page 58]Success. But now I am speaking of Season, I must inform you, That your Rules of Seasonableness must be fetch'd from the Dictates of Nature, not from the unconstant deprav'd Humors of some Men, for he that thus observes the Wind shall not sow. We are not to reprove only where we foresee it will probably find a welcom access, or omit this Duty upon the prospect of pro­bably being reproach'd for it: But our Care ought to be this, never to reprove where or when some Circumstances consider'd, our Reproof, by being a greater Breach of Decency than it can possibly be an Act of Duty, will be not merely in the Opinions of ill Men, but by the Laws of Nature Re­proach-worthy. A rash Reproof represents a Man inconsistent with himself, because it represents him an extraordinary forward Zealot, before he has learn'd to shew himself a Man by Consideration, which is to invert the Order of God and Nature: For Consi­deration is one of the first Virtues, in order, and his Zeal cann't be well founded, who is destitute of it; so that the Rashness demon­strates that Zeal to he ill grounded, which the Reproof seems to express. To which give me Leave to add, That the Observance of Caution and Season in giving Reproof will free us from being charg'd with Vain­glory and Arrogance by any candid or se­date [Page 59]Christian for our Reproof. In short, We must first be sure to have excellent Aims, and then study to serve them by proper means. But tho' we are not to reprove every Person whom we know to be a scanda­lous Sinner, or one who is superior to us in Age, quality or Function, yet we may re­prove any one to whom we are equal enough to be their Companion, if they do any thing that is scandalous while we are in their Company. The Canons of common Civi­lity will Authorize us to reprove them: We may, without committing any Solecism in Address, beg their Silence, and freely vent our Displeasure. For if we are equal enough to be Companions, we are in mu­tual Society sociable upon equal Terms, and on the same Conditions: And therefore ev'ry Companion may speak his Mind in his Turn, and take notice of what offends him, without ministring any just occasion of Offence, how ill soever Men, that have no Sense of the excellent Nature of Charity to their Souls, may be apt to take it. Why may not good Men consult their lawful Ease and Liberty as well as the Licentious? We may easily level the Matter, by but putting the Case plainly. Should a well-meaning Christian be so imprudently zealous (when he has by Chance or Necessity fell into some Company who have little or no Love [Page 60]for Goodness, or perhaps are bitter and sacramental Enemies to it) as to offer at a Discourse about Angels, the future Judg­ment, the Benefit of Contemplation and heavenly Things, Self-reflection, or some extraordinary Favours with which the Holy Ghost has oblig'd his Soul, or any sublime and practical Topicks which such vitiated Pa­lates cann't relish without Disgust, and ought only to be introduc'd in select Conversation and extraordinary Times, when our Minds are best season'd, would they not presently begin to hiss, and bid him leave off Canting, and tell him that was not a Place to preach in! I donn't question they'd presently inform him, without thinking it any Invasion upon De­cency, that he did but expose himself to them by so doing. Why then may not a fervent Christian, when his Sacred Ears are assaulted with Curses, Blasphemy and Obscenity, modestly beg the Favour not to be detain'd and disturb'd with their Sins and Follies, and tell them he takes such Demean­our as an Affront, and for that Reason desire them to compound to talk about something that is useful, which is neither sinful in its own Nature, nor has an immediate Tenden­cy to heavenly things, lyes between two Extremes, and will prosit both without of­fending either? When the Prophane are very unseasonably Wicked, a good Christi­an's [Page 61]exemplary Life constitutes him their Superior, and the Minister's Deputy upon the Account of his Innocence, and for that Reason authorizes him to reprove them, without waiting for a privater Season. Un­common Impudence makes an uncommon and publick Reproof a just Correction of the reprov'd, and a seasonable Act in the Com­panion who reproves, tho' he▪s no farther related to him than as he partakes of Hu­man Nature, has been baptiz'd, and is but a casual Companion at the instant of the Re­proof: And therefore, to omit Reproof at such a Time is to neglect a decent Oppor­tunity of expressing our Zeal for God's Ho­nour, and therefore is as blameable as to have no regard for Season at all. In short, we must remember that Prudence has its Boundaries as well as Zeal, and it requires as much Spiritual Judgment to assign the pro­per Limits of the one as of the other: 'Tis as necessary to have Zeal enough to say to the Soul, Hitherto thou shalt go, as it is to have Prudence to add, no farther. Where there is no Zeal for God, our Prudence can't be Spiritual and Christian. Luxuriant, or, to speak more properly, an unseasonable Ex­ertion of Zeal makes a Man prodigal of In­discreet Reproofs, and carnal Caution makes him too stingy, and therefore Prudence without Zeal is as certainly sinful as Zeal [Page 62]that is not rein'd by Prudence, is but a false Image of Divine Love, and which ra­ther ought to be reputed a Zeal that is mol­ten by some excessive Heat of an inconside­rate Brain, than the genuine emanation of Christian Charity. Is not therefore the Epi­demical Omission of this Duty, my Christi­an Countreymen, a great Fault in you? Ca­sual Reproof may silence if not reform; make Wretches less contagious to others, tho' not less wise and religious themselves. I dare be positive, that wicked Men, how brazen soever the ill Complexions of their Minds may be, would not have such callous Countenances, if the Virtuous did but assume their rightful Boldness. Vice would not sneak and lower it's Head by Degrees, just as it got Ground through the Neglect of this Duty. But you may tell me, That the Cu­stom of casual Reproof is antiquated and quite out of date now, and therefore to, bring it up would look ridiculous, and ex­pose those who should attempt it. But give me leave to acquaint thee, Christian, that tho' the Heavens themselves will be shrivel'd like Parchment before the Fire, yet Reason, and that God, who is the Author of Reason, and has made this a Duty, will never grow old: No, as he always was and still is, so he will be always omnipotent and immutable; for which Reason they that trample upon his [Page 63]Laws cannot escape his Wrath, unless they repent, whilst Repentance and Reproof will be accepted, and will contribute to the eter­nal Felicity of Human Creatures. If the Herd are so brutish as to despise, through Ignorance or Wickedness such an excellent Duty, the wise and sincere Professors of the Religion of the Blessed Jesus have the more Reason to exercise casual Reproof, since there is such a great and lamentable Necessi­ty for it. You, I speak to, the brave and ge­nerous Disciples of my once Crucified, but now Glorified Lord, are hereby call'd to sa­crifice your Temporal Credit for Christ, and that Virtue of which he was both the Principal Pattern and Patron, and will you shamefully desert'em in a Time of Ex­tremity? Do you really believe, that he, who, many hundred Years ago, said these Words, Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and say all manner of evil against you, falsly, for my name's sake: Rejoyce and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, knew what a weighty Truth he spake? Cowardise and Inconsideration may, but a Heart's Affection for Religion will ne­ver away with the Neglect of Casual Re­proof. Where is your Faith and Christian Magnanimity, who are so basely asham'd of Christ's Cause? One that cann't patienly bear with the Frowardness of Ignorant and [Page 64]Malicious Men, may assure himself without the Gift of Prophecy, that he is not arm'd with a Spirit of Martyrdom against those Storms and Tempests which may one Day sift his Faith. If you deny and are asham'd of Christ before Men, he will disown and be asham'd of you also before his Father, Angels and Men at the last. Measures of Decency are not as in Matters of common Actions which relate to this Life, to be taken in matters of Duty and Religion, firm t [...]e Notions and Customs of the most, because it may be safely said, That the most have al­ways been the worst. Singular Examples are not fit to be constant and universal Rules, much less the Lives of the Common If you think that we must act with the most always, for the sake of Peaceableness, why don't you lye and equivocate, carry your selves irreverently in God's House, trifle with the tremendous Name, turn your Backs upon the Altar of Divine Love, and such like, since the most do so? Reprove therefore the Works of Darkness. When one stands up in the behalf of Virtue the rest will in all likelihood back and second him; but if the Company should be mute, nay hiss and re­vile you, they'l cancel their Scoffs when the Pitcher is broken at the Fountain, and the Wheel at the Cistern, when the Evil Days come and the Years draw nigh; and they [Page 65]shall say, We have no Pleasure in them. Farther, This is the surest way to be rid of their troublesome Company: 'Twill be Matter of Comfort too, to reflect that a Duty has been discharg'd, a Duty too, which is in a great measure expensive of our Repu­tation, the dearest to good Men of all Temporal Goods, in an Age wherein Virtue is made matter of Satyr. However, 'tis neither Sin nor Folly, Dissociableness nor Incivility to offend those who will construe the greatest Kindnesses Offences, and whom we cann't please without committing Sin, without the Loss of God's Favour, desert­ing Virtue's good Name when 'tis assassin'd, and without the Decay of our own Soul's Health. Do your Duty therefore chear­fully and doubt not, notwithstanding the Wicked may now call your Life Madness, that Wisdom will be justified of her Chil­dren.

This may suffice to suggest the use of this sort of Reproof, and of all the rest. I could willingly speak more largely of the latter, but Friendly Reproof is what I under­took to handle particularly now, and the true Reason why I have insisted upon the other was to remove Men's gross Errors about it. I think my self very happy that they have let me arrive, tho with so much Trouble and Difficulty, to the Harbour of [Page 66]my Wishes, and the most delicious Entertain­ment of my Thoughts. Now we may enjoy our selves without the least Alloy of Contro­versie, and of any but affected Misconstru­ction. Now Friendly Reproof, a golden and lovely Subject, indeed; that great, but despis'd Benefactor of Religion, is ready to receive our eager Embraces.

Now Friendly Reproof is the Reproof given by a Friend to a Friend. The particular End of this Reproof is the Perfection of the Soul of that individual who is reprov'd. One pecu­liar Property of it is it's being always given privately. It may happen indeed that a Friend may need to be reprov'd in Publick; but then he is reproved, in such a case, upon the account of some more extensive Relation than that of a Friend. And as none but a Friend is the Object of Friendly Reproof, and none but a Friend can properly give it, so the Subjects of it are not only gross Faults, but even Specks and less discernible Failures: For the Considerate would have their Friends not only abstain from heinous Sins, but from all Appearances and Beginnings of E­vil. 'Tis their flaming Ambition that their Friends may not only not be legible Pictures of the great Enemy of Souls, but that they may ev'ry Day lay aside ev'ry Incumbrance, and grow nearer and nearer to the Nature of good Angels. This sort of Reproof is gi­ven [Page 67]with an extraordinary Affection, a pecu­liar Force and Stream of Benevolence. 'Tis an Act of Fidelity in him that reproves to his own Trust, Pretences and Contract; an Act of Love and Gratitude to the Manhood of the reprov'd consider'd as his peculiar Fellow-Helper and Well-Wisher.

Hitherto we have been taken up with the distinguishing the particular Kinds of Re­proof, the neglect of which has been one main Fountain of erroneous Judgments about the Nature of Friendly Reproof; for how many shall you hear excusing themselves for not reproving their Friends, because they are neither Magistrates nor Ministers whose Duty it is to reprove? whereas had these Persons but observed this Distin­ction, they would have known that it was one thing to reprove as a Magistrate, or a Minister, and another to reprove as a Friend.

I shall conclude this Chapter with two Ob­servations.

The first of which is, That sometimes se­veral of these sorts of Reproof may be co­incident in the same Person: Thus, to give one very plain Instance, a Bishop may re­prove a Sin before a whole Congregation, in the hearing of a particular Friend of his, to which this Friend is very much addicted: Here he reproves him in general, and inde­terminately, as a Minister. After Sermon [Page 68]he, in the next Place, knowing this Friend to be guilty of the Sin, goes and reproves him for it privately and particularly as a Friend. But if, notwithstanding his re­peated Rebukes, and the application of other prudent Methods, to recover him, his Friend repeats and repeats this Sin, so long till by degrees it betrays him into more heinous Commissions, and he by that means prove a scandalous Example, the Bishop is oblig'd to excommunicate this dear Friend, as he would conscientiously discharge the Duty of a Spi­ritual or Ecclesiastical Magistrate. But tho' they may be coincident in Cases of this Na­ture, yet for the most part they are not so, and Error being harder to be detected than Truth is to be discover'd, 'twas necessary in an Engagement with prejudic'd Persons that our Entrance into this Subject might be made the smoother to speak of ev'ry one of them apart, and to mark down the particular Characteristicks of all of them distinctly.

But, secondly, to conclude this Chap­ter, since there are different Uses of dif­ferent kinds of Reproof, 'tis evident that the Reformation and Improvement of the reprov'd Person (tho' 'tis always to be charitably wish'd and hop'd for) is not the sole End of all Reproof. Whence it fol­lows, That though a Man could be safely [Page 69]confident (which cann't be without a Pre­sumption, and a Violation of Charity, which, as S Paul acquaints us, hopes all things) that an Offender, whom he has a Right to re­prove upon some of the precedent Accounts, will be never the better for his Reproof, yet this can be no safe Pretext for his omission of it, in not making a patient Experiment upon such an Offender, since his Reproof may, supposing the worst, be often instru­mental to the promotion of Virtue in other Respects, as has been shewn in the Case of casual Reproof, the Temporal Magistrate's Condemnation, and the Spiritual Magi­strate's Excommunication, which is the principal End of all Reproof whatsoever, ta­ken at large.

SECT. I. Entrance into the Chapter.

CARE has been taken to disburthen Men's Minds of all dark and confus'd Notions of Friendly Reproof; so that I hope now I may proceed chearfully and in good Order to prove it of such a Nature as to oblige the Conscience to the diligent Exercise of it. Which I have the rather chose to do, because I think my self bound by a Princi­ple of Charity to impute the Neglect of this Duty in the better sorts of the Profes­sors of Christianity, to their not being throughly convinc'd that Friendly Reproof [Page 71]is a Duty and Obligatory of the Con­science.

Now there are only two ways whereby we can know whether or no any Action is a Duty, and these are Reason and Revela­tion.

Wherefore I shall shew,

• I. That the Light of Nature discovers Friendly Reproof to be a Human Duty. And,
• II. That the Inspir'd Writings testifie Friendly Reproof to be a Christian Duty.

SECT II. Friendly Reproof prov'd a Natural or Human Duty.

I Am first to prove from Reason, or the Primitive Light of Nature, that Friendly Reproof is a Duty.

Now if it can be demonstrated, That,

1. Friendship is a Natural Relation, that is to say, A Relation which Man by Nature stands in need of. And, 2. That no Man can discharge the Duty of a Man in the Re­lation of Friendship, without reproving his Friend sometimes; then questionless Friendly Reproof is a Natural and Human Duty. Now [Page 72]the Truth of both these Propositions I dare undertake to prove.

And first, I prove that Friendship is a Na­tural Relation. Our unavoidable Depen­dence on one another in this State, so full of Dangers and pregnant of Necessities, which are too many and too tough to be con­quer'd and forestall'd by the wisest, strong­est and most industrious Man's solitary Pow­ers, continually minds us that we are soci­able Creatures by Nature. This common Principle of Sociableness is the universal Cement of all Mankind: Deserts are too in­hospitable to Man to be measur'd out for his Abode. But tho' all Men are sociable Crea­tures by Nature, yet it is impossible for any Man to assist and associate with all Men any other wise than as they form one Human Po­lity, one Rational Orb. All Men cann't be helpful to all Men personally, tho' in reliev­ing any Man they should be intentionally, and are, ipso facto, centrally assistant to all Men. Our Benevolence may extend to all, tho' our Beneficence cannot. Nevertheless, ev'ry Man has a Power to be actually Helpful to a small Number of his Fellow Creatures, more or less, this way or that way, and some most, I might have said all ways, according to the Stature and Capacity of their diffe­rent Faculties, and the different Vigour and Tendency of their several Genius's. Thus, [Page 73]by the communicative Powers of individuals in different Employments all necessary Ser­vices are upheld, and all carry on the same End, their own comfortable Subsistence and the support of the whole Human Corpora­tion: By the happy Concurrencies of ev'ry distinct few in the Aiding of a few, all Men become in the End the Auxiliaries of all Men, consider'd as they are clad with the same Nature and Members of the whole Human Universe. Hence it was that the World was no sooner stock'd with Inhabitants, but Men very willingly, from the beginning of the World even to this Day, agreed to channel themselves into Empires, Kingdoms, Shires, Cities, Towns, Neighbourhoods and innu­merable other less Societies and Branches of Polity. 'Tis also this Necessity which is the Foundation of personal Relations. Civil Magistrates are necessary to preserve distinct Bodies and Governments from Disorder and Ruin. Marriages are necessary to erect a new Posterity in ev'ry Age, and for the more careful Education of Children. The Relation of Masters and Servants is necessary too for the Continuance and Improvement of all useful Arts and Sciences, which are Instruments of Subsistence, Ornament and Convenience, to both our Minds and Bo­dies.

I But since none of these Relations and Di­stinctions of Magistrate and Plebeian, Hus­band and Wife, Parent, and Child, Master and Servant allow special equality enough in their Correlates to admit of that Intimacy which ev'ry Man's want of Consultation in Doubts, and those numerous Straits and Dangers which Men of all Vocations and in all Circumstances are expos'd to, together with ev'ry Man's natural eagerness to empty his Bosom of his secret Joys and Grievances require, Nature is bound, upon Peril of be­ing reproach'd, together with that God who is the Author of Nature, for haying made Man his own Burthen, and the supreme Spe­cies of all sublunary Creatures, utterly un­capable of moderate Comfort, to procure him another Correlate. 'Tis true, a Man and his Wife are so near that they may, in one Sense be said to be one: They have the same Family and Main Chance to take Care of, but they drive on this same End diffe­rent ways. Women are not fit to give coun­sel, nor, generally speaking, able to lend a helping Hand in Masculine Affairs; and yet the Woman's Part may be play'd well enough. Besides, a Wife is seldom so discreet as she should be, and very few Men will trust their Wives with the Key of their Bosom, be­cause they know that 'tis not convenient for ev'ry one to see what is laid up in that Clo­set. [Page 75]Nay, should a Wife be an extraordi­nary Woman and a great Blessing (which few now-a-days are) so as to serve not only for a Wife, but for a Friend, yet she is but one; and he that has her would do well to prize her; and if she be Loving and Peace­able, and keep a strict Eye over her Family, supposing she be far from being such an ex­traordinary Wife, she is nevertheless to be cherish'd and belov'd, since she is, notwith­standing, a good Wife, because Strength of Thought, a severe Discipline of Tongue, and strong Hands are not common to the Female Sex. But to return, be she ever so extraordinary, as I have before said, she is but one, and one assistant cannot be rely'd on: One Person's Counsel will not suffice to furnish a Man with Prudence, and to mould his Mind into a just equanimity in all Emergencies. Man's Affairs are not esta­blish'd either by one or by a multitude of, but by two or three, private Counsellors. Whosoever therefore are not so unusually Happy as to have wise Brethren by Blood, that are born for Adversity, must adopt the sincerest and prudentest Equals they can get acquainted with for their Brethren; those Brethren, I mean, who are commonly call'd Friends; who will joyn Heads, and Hearts, and Hands, not only in Prosperity, but when Storms and Tempests do induce Melancholy [Page 76]and Terror, and Fearfulness, and Trem­bling, get fast hold of our Spirits, who (as my Lord Verulam has excellently well ob­serv'd) redouble our Joys and split our Griefs in two, who (than which I cann't add a greater Encomium) as Solomon acquaints, do stick closer to one another than Brother to Bro­ther. In short, Friendship is so necessary to make our Joys real and permanent, and to pillar up our Spirits in gloomy Days (which will certainly come in their turns) that Reve­rence to Nature obliges us to believe that Friendship is a Natural Relation.

II. The second Proposition to be prov'd, is this. No Man can discharge the Duty of a Man in the Relation of Friendship without his reproving his Friend sometimes.

To render this Truth apparent, 'tis requi­site, and accordingly I desire you to consider these three things.

• 1. That Reproof is a great Act of Kind­ness.
• 2. That 'tis an Act of Kindness, which ev'ry Man stands more or less in need of.
• 3. 'Tis an Act of Kindness, that ev'ry Man is capable of doing for his Friend.

1. First, I say, We should consider, That Reproof is a great Act of Kindness.

Natural Light informs us very clearly, and common Experience witnesses that there are Actions and Habits, which gall Man's Mind, cheapen his Name, waste his Estate, impair his Health, straiten his Faculties, and make him lavish of that Time which was given him to improve his being in: And farther, Natural Light does as clearly satisfie us that such Actions and Habits are Hurtful and Evil to Man: Neither God nor Nature can ap­prove of, nay not condemn what disquiets us and serves no good End: Of this kind are all Extremes, as immoderate Sleep, Eating, Drinking, Sociableness, Solitude, Talking, Ad­miration, Grief, Joy, Anger, and the like. Agreeably the Heathens themselves seated all Virtue in general and Mediocricy: Me­dio tutissimus ibis is a Proverb in ev'ry School-Boy's Mouth: So far they were very well acquainted with the Nature of Human Virtue.

But since we can find by the natural Ten­dency of these Actions and Habits, that they are so many ways hurtful to us, the Bane and Burthen of our being, we must grant that the Removal and Prevention of such Ha­bits and Actions is a great Act of Human Kindness. For certainly nothing is a great [Page 78]Act of Kindness if that is not such which contributes in a great Measure to the Health of our Bodies, the Peace of our Consciences, the Preservation of our Credit, the regular Steerage of our Faculties, and finally the wise Dispensation of all our Time, to the Advancement always, more or less of our entire Man.

Now Private and Friendly Reproof does contribute very much to the Removal of such Habits and Actions. The removal of them is the only Aim of Friendly Reproof; and truly 'tis a means as fair as any for Success in such an Attempt. For Reproof is always given with some Signs of uneasiness, and ev'ry Man highly valuing one whom he takes to be his sincere Friend, reveres his Displeasure. The Expression of Anger in his Friend makes the reprov'd Person conclude with himself, That that Fault which causes such Anger in his cordial well-wisher can be no such inconside­rable Evil as an inconsiderate Sinner, is apt to think it; which Conclusion excites Re­morse for it: And pungent Reflections cre­ate a Horror of it for the future, and that Horror makes him seal the Will with firm Resolutions against it, which is the most like­ly way to guard the Soul against all the At­tempts of the Devil. By this Method, if his Fault was a single Act of any particular Sin, the Seeds of an ill Habit are choak'd; [Page 79]but if the Sin for which he was reprov'd was habitual, this Reproof will animate him to labour with all his Might by Severities upon himself and Consultation with others, and, above all, by frequent and earnest Addresses to the Throne of Grace, to demolish the strong Holds of the Devil. What is there so difficult that a Man will not assay, in order to keep up the Love and favourable Opinion of his Friend, who by daily Endearments and Obligations does manifest his Kindness to be real and hearty? and sure Sins, if they are view'd when the Mind is in it's Meridian, will not appear to the sedater Thoughts so lovely that a Friend should rather be parted with than them. If a Friend has little Love for his Soul, from a brutish Ignorance of it's Worth, yet a Friend's Displeasure may force him to shake Hands with a Vice and his Darling Vice too, perhaps.

2. But secondly, As, a Friend's Reproof is a great Act of Kindness, so 'tis an Act of Kind­ness which ev'ry one, more or less, stands in need of.

A Good and Circumspect Man May live above the Magistrate's Reproof, nay out of the Reach of the envenom'd Arrows of hellish Tongues, and above the Comments of the Envious and Pragmatical, and yet be girt about with many dangerous Infirmities, which [Page 80]his Friend, who is often with him, can ea­sily spy out. There is not that wariest Man alive who offends not: The righteous, it seems, offends seven times a day, that is to say, frequently, but then this must be explain'd rather of invisible than visible Faults. Nevertheless the best Men have their vi­sible Faults, even those that are Lights to the World have their Spots and Littlenesses, which those who are often near and intent upon them, may easily discern and count up without a Pick fault Inclination. They are Lectures of Humility to great Examples. Where is the Man that is perfectly Innocent and Virtuous, to omit the Refinements of the Gospel, in Nature's and a second Man's Eyes? But tho' the best Men confine upon, nay slip into some of those Extreams which are the Pests of Humanity, yet it was not convenient that all the Miseries and Defor­mities of good Souls in this State, should be uncurtain'd to the Crowd, because then the Reputation of the brightest Example of Virtue would suffer a very dismal Cloud, and so miss of that Efficacy it has upon ordi­nary Spectators. But tho' if those lesser Faults were visible to all that transiently be­hold them, the Lustre of their Credits would be eclips'd in the Eyes of the World, yet God and Friends can have Generosity enough to [Page 81]Pity, Heal and Pardon those retir'd Infirmi­ties, without being alienated from the Pati­ent. And indeed since we cannot say he is happiest who offends not at all, because this is absurdly to suppose what never will be, since no Man ever was, is, or will be so happy in this State, as not to offend at all; we must be content to say, He is the happiest Man who offends least. This is an Ambition which every Man should suffer to bear the Sceptre in his own Breast. Now that this sort of Ambition in our Friends may be an­swer'd, we should acquaint them with those Faults which are visible to us: For indeed many of good Men's smallest Faults are not so discernible to themselves as to their Friends; so that unless those who are oftenest with, and profess Kindness for them, tell them of their Faults, which they note in them, they will in all probability escape their Cogni­zance, and consequently their Vigilance, whereby they are depriv'd of being so many degrees nearer to perfection. But I am sure if the best Men stand in need of Friendly Reproof, others, but especially those who deserve Casual and severer Reproofs, stand much more in need of Friendly Reproof. The natural Corollary of which is, that all Men consider'd in their present Capacity of bu [...] Candidates, not Masters of rational Perfection, are the Objects of the Relief of Friendly Re­proof.

3. But thirdly, Friendly Reproof is an Act of Kindness which ev'ry Man is capable of doing for his Friend.

We have all, even the Ignorantest of us, a natural Capacity to perceive the Eternal Unreasonableness and intrinsically evil Na­ture of some Actions and Habits. Happy, happy should we all be, if we did but con­stantly avoid the Commission of all those Sins, which because of their Ugliness and Defor­mity▪ we cann't avoid knowing to be Sins. And as the Sense of the chief Subjects of Re­prehension is wrought in our Understand­ings: by Nature, so we have also a natural Aptness and Sagacity to see these Extremes sooner and better in others than in our selves. There is a due Distance of the Object, and a due hatred of the Sin which we see: Self-love and Partiality don't blind and corrupt our Judgments Abroad as they do at Home. Jealousie for our Friend's Welfare, Hatred of Sin in him, and frequent Converse with him make us very quick sighted; and when a Fault does but shew it's Head, our Capacity of being angry is presently kindled; which Passion of Anger, we need not doubt was plant­ed in us by Nature to serve some good End. Farther, That Volubility of Tongue which is ev'ry Man's Talent when the Thoughts of others are the Theme of our Discourse, [Page 83]broaches our Breasts all on a sudden, when they are stung with Grief for our Friend. Anger and Grief are very necessary Tools for the rough Work of Reproof, which to set about is so ungrateful to us (where observe, that I do not mean 'tis ungrateful to rail, which proceeds from ill Will, but Reproof implies a Benevolence for him whom we tell of his Faults, and therefore is an unpleasant Imployment) so ungrateful, I say, that had it not been for these Springs, Nature must have been charg'd with our Neglect of Re­proof. But all the foremention'd Instincts of Nature are such fit Instruments of Reproof that the Blood of our Friend, if we neglect to reprove, must be requir'd at our own Hands, and we need not doubt but they were given us chiefly to make us execute this Irk­some Task of Friendly Reproof more chearfully. What better use can we put them to? Doubt­less the great Creator did not design them to make us Treacherous to one another, Quar­relsome about Straws, greedy to spill Hu­man Blood, or prone to Defame and Back­bite our Neighbours, but the more ready to discover our Wounds betimes, that they may be prob'd, and that we may close them for one another.

In short, since Friendship is a natural Re­lation, all those relative Acts and Exercises which the entire Discharge of it necessarily [Page 84]requires at our Hands, are Natural and Re­lative Duties: And farther, since Friends are the constant Objects of mutual Repre­hension, and are so richly capacitated to do one another such a very good turn, such a complicated Act of Kindness, they are un­grateful Traytors to one another, if they turn their other Policies and Courtesies into Snares and Briars, by neglecting this prin­cipal Office of judicious Friendship.

Accordingly Isocrates, Seneca, Marcus An­toninus, Cicero, Aristides, and other Heathen M [...]ralists, have given great Commendations of Reproof. Maximus Tyrius, in his first or second Discourse, I remember makes Re­proof▪ the great Distinction of a Friend from a Parasite, and to recommend Reproof seems to me to be the main Drift of that excellent Sermon out of the Bible of Nature. But that the illiterate Reader may have a Taste of their Judgments in this matter, I'le pen down some very excellent Lines out of some of the most eminent Heathen Authors. And to begin with the Glory of the Romans, Ci­cero, in his Treatise of Friendship, has these remarkable Words; Quanto id magis in ho­mine sit natura, qui & se ipse diligit & alterum inquirit, cujus animum ita cum suo misceat ut efficiat pene unum ex duobus? fed plerique per­verse, ne dicam impudenter, amicum habere ta­lem volunt quales ipsi esse non possunt; quae (que) [Page 85]ipsi non tribuunt amicis, haec ab eis desiderant. Par est autem primum ipsum esse virum bonum, tum alterum similem sui quaerere. Equidem in talibus stabilitas amicitiae confirmari potest [...] Cum homines benevolentia conjuncti primum cu­piditatibus iis quibus coeteri serviunt, imperabunt; deinde aequitate justitiaque gaudebunt omniaque alter pro altero suscipiet. Neque quicquam un­quam nisi honestum & rectum alter ab altero po­stulabit: neque solum colent inter se ac diligent, sed etiam verebuntur, nam maximum ornamen­tum amicitiae tollit, qui ex ea tollit verecundiam. Ita (que) in iis perniciosus est Error, qui existimant libidinum peccatorum (que) omnium patere in amici­tia licentiam. Virtutum amicitia adjutrix a Natura data est, non vitiorum comes, ut quoniam solitaria non posset virtus ad ea quae summa sunt pervenire, conjuncta & consociata cum altera per­veniret. Haec est, inquam, societas, in qua omnia insunt quae putant homines expetenda, ho­nestas, gloria, tranquillitas animi, at (que) potestas. What a great Prerogative has Man by Na­ture over the rest of the Creatures, who both loves himself and seeks out a second with whose Soul he may so contemper his own as to turn two Souls into one? But indeed very many are so Perverse, I for­bear to say Impudent, as to expect their Friends to be such as they themselves are not, and such Kindnesses from their Friends, which they are not sollicitous to retaliate. [Page 86]But in my Judgment 'tis but fit and equal that ev'ry one should take care in the first Place to be good himself, and then to make another so. For good Persons only are capable of a deep and stable Friendship. When Men that are mutually united by Benevolence have once got the Command of those Lusts to which others are envas­sal'd, then they'l take Delight in Equity and Justice, and exchange good Offices with one another. Neither will expect any Complyance from the other which dis­agrees with Uprightness and Honourable Principles; neither will they only love and serve, but also revere one another. I say revere, for take away mutual Reve­rence and Awe from Friends, and you'll rob Friendship of it's greatest Ornament. Wherefore they lye under a very danger­ous Mistake, who think that Friendship is consistent with Toleration of Lusts and Vices. No, no, Friendship was given by Nature to Aid, Promote and Strengthen our Virtues, not to procure us Confede­rates in Vice, to the intent that Social and United Virtue might reach that heighth of Perfection which solitary Virtue cann't at­tain to. This, I say, is that Intimacy, Partnership, Society, Friendship or what­ever other Name you'll give it, which in­cludes in it Honesty, Glory, Peace of [Page 87]Mind, substantial Pleasure, and whatever considerate Men passionately desire to enjoy.

Again he says, Monendi amici saepe sunt & objurgandi: Et haec accipienda amice cum bene­vole siunt. Sed nescio quomodo verum est, Obse­quium amicos, Veritas odium parit. Molesta veritas, siquidem ex ea nascitur odium quod est venenum amicitiae. Sed obsequium multo mole­stius quod peccatis indulgens praecipitem amicum ferri sinit. Maxima autem culpa in eo est, qui & veritatem aspernatur, & in fraudem obse­quio impellitur. Omniagitur hac in re habenda ratio & diligentia est primum, ut monitio acerbi­tate, deinde objurgatio contumelia careat: As­sentatio vitiorum adjutrix procul amoveatur, qua non modo amico, sed ne libero quidem digna est, aliter enim cum Tyranno, aliter cum amico vi­vitur. Cujus autem aures veritati clausae sunt, ut ab amico verum audire nequit, hujus salus de­speranda est. Scitum enim est illud Catonis, me­lius de quibusdam acerbos inimicos mereri, quam eos amicos qui dulces videantur: Illos verum saepe dicere, hos nunquam. At (que) illud absurdum est quod ii qui monentur eam molestiam quam de­bent capere, non capiunt: Eam capiunt qua de­bent vacare. Peccasse enim se non anguntur, objurgari moleste ferunt: quod contra oportebat delicto dolere, correctione gaudere. We should often admonish and reprove our Friends, and such Offices should be taken [Page 88]kindly from Friends, who deal thus with us, because they have a true Affection for us. But I know not how it comes about, but it is too true, that Truth is very offen­sive in this Case, 'Tis the Parent of a ve­ry troublesome Damp upon our Spirits: Which Readiness to take Reproof ill is that which poisons our Friendship. De­ceitful Complaisance entertains us with a momentany Delight, whereas Reproof cre­ates a sort of transient Hatred, but the former, how sweet soever it appears at first, proves an Engine of great Trouble at length, because through indulging a Friend in Sin, it lets him run on head­long in Ruinous Courses, without the least Stop or Controul. 'Tis the greatest Fault that a Friend can be guilty of, to slight ve­nerable Truth, and by an unlawful Ob­sequiousness be thrust into the Snares of Deceit. Wherefore in ev'ry Undertaking of this Nature we should diligently take Care that our Admonition be free from all Bitterness, and our Reproof be apply'd without any sign of Disesteem. None but Tyrants deserve Flattery: 'Tis a just Pu­nishment of the Cruel and Haughty, but to flatter a Friend is the most unseemly Ingratitude; for a Friend need not be hu­mour'd and impos'd on as a foolish Ty­rant, with whom you cannot be free with­out [Page 89]endangering your Life. His Condi­tion is very woful and desperate who shuts his Ears against the Voice of Truth, and will not suffer his Friend to speak freely. Cato very wisely observ'd, That we are indebted to our very bitterest Enemies more than to those who seem to be the sweetest Friends, who hide our Maladies and Dangers whilst they tell us the Truth; and shew us our weak Side plainly. And indeed nothing is more absurd than to see Men when they are reprov'd, perfectly mistake both the proper Object and the proper Cause of Trouble and Offence: For instead of their being pleas'd with their being reprov'd, and troubled for those Offences, which occasion'd their Reproof, they take it ill that they are reprov'd, and are not at all vex'd with themselves for having offended, that they'd tempt one to think they made it their business to thwart Nature's Commands. There's a great deal more to this purpose in his golden Essay about Friendship, which it would be too tedious to transcribe. You see here that this Author thought Reproof the Duty of a Friend, and gives some Directions about some regular Managements of Reproof, which we shall speak of hereafter, and I hope that that Circumstance in the present Citations of this Chapter, being but accidental, will not [Page 90]be condemn'd for a Breach of Order, since my own Thoughts will be laid down by themselves concerning it. But I have one thing more to observe, viz. That this Au­thor, in the Place which I last cited, makes a clear Distinction between Monitio and Ob­jurgatio; by which he hints, That the Words were originally design'd to signifie two dif­ferent Acts, viz. the first admonishing a­gainst, and the second chiding for a Fault. But because when we reprove for a Fault we implicitly admonish against it for the future, he has us'd the Word Monere in the Sense of Reproof; but had he and those English Wri­ters, who use Admonish so, foreseen the Mis­chief and Confusion which it has caus'd in weak Minds, they would, I doubt not, have, declin'd the freedom of using it equivo­cally.

But to proceed, Antisthenes said long since what Cato observ'd, which Cicero just now mention'd before, as Plutarch informs us, in his Manual about getting good by our Enemies, and subjoyns to the Relation a Complaint of the general Neglect of Friendly Reproof in his Time, which may be applied to our own Age: For thus he tells us, That Men spake with too faint a Voice when they took the decent Liberty of Reproving a Friend, but were too nimble-tongu'd when they flatter'd; so that there was great need [Page 91]for ev'ry one to be attentive to what their Enemies said to them, That since they had no Friends to dress and cure their Wounds, they might, like Telephus, heal them with the Spear that made them. [...], &c. And Aris [...]ides's excellent Oration about Friendship is full of such Observations about Reproof, and gives such excellent Directions about the Manage­ment of it, as the greater part of Christians cann't supply us with, which 'twill be fitter to mention in another Place, Aristotle tells us, That there can be no profitable Friend­ship without Reproof, [...], viii. ad Nicom. 13. The same Author, in the same Book, gives this as his Opinion, [...]. Where there is true Friendship there is Equality and Likeness; and that Simili­tude of Temper is the most durable and lasting which is form'd in Human Minds by Virtue. For the Virtuous only live a Life of Consistency, and are alike at all times, [Page 92]both with respect to themselves and one another. They stand in no need of naugh­ty Machinations, nor unite their Strength to carry on base Purposes. On the con­trary, if I may so speak, they act the Part of Magistrates to one another, to sence one another from the Commission of any sort of Villany whatever: For 'tis natural to the Good neither to sin themselves, nor to suffer their Friends to commit or abet Sin: But the Wicked have no Firmness nor Con­stancy in their Friendship. They don't continue in the same Mind or like them­selves. They are seemingly Friends for a Time, and for the sake of the sensual Pleasure which they feel during their Con­federacy in Wickedness. To mention but one more, Jamblicus, somewhere in his Life of the famous Pythagoras, tells us of that Philosopher, that he left it as a Maxim to all his Followers, That the Renouncing any Friend or Friendship upon any other acccount but the Abuse of Reproof and incorrigibleness under it, is by no means to be approved of. What a great Opinion he had or Reproof, I leave Men of the meanest Capacity to guess from hence. What has been said, I think is suffi­cient to prove Friendly Reproof a Natural Duty. I shall therefore go forward, accord­ing to my promise to shew that it is a reveal'd and a Christian Duty.

SECT. III. Proving Friendly Reproof a Reveal'd, and especially a Christian Duty.

CHristians, if they'l consult the Sacred Scriptures, may be presently ascer­tain'd that Friendly Reproof is a reveal'd and Christian Duty. Revelation subscribes very liberally to this useful Proposal of Nature, and has made it an inviolable Sanction by Immediate Divine Authority.

Revelation bestows great Eulogies on a Faithful Friend, and particularly on this Act of Friendship, and taxes those who either omit to give it, or abuse it, when given, with very odious Tempers of Mind: Thus Solo­mon: A man that has Friends must shew him­self friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother; And here I cannot for­bear mentioning something of the Son of Sirach's, to this purpose, A faithful friend is a strong defence, and he that has found such an one has found a Treasure. Nothing does countervail a faithful friend, and his excellency is unvaluable, A faithful friend is the medi­cine of life, and they that fear the Lord shall find him. Whoso fears the Lord shall direct his friendship aright, for as he is, so shall his neigh­bour [Page 94]be also. And Solomon, He that covers a Transgression, that is to say, secretly reproves his Friend, procures love. A just man falls seven times a day (this shews ev'ry Man's want of Reproof) and rises up again by his own Endeavours and his Friend's kind Assistance. Rejoyce not when thine enemy falls, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbles. Such Carri­age to our Enemies must needs endear Re­proof to good Friends, for the Reproof of so generous a Person cann't be suppos'd to proceed from Delight in occasions of Re­proof. Wherefore Solomon, in disswading us from such an Humour, exhorts us to Re­proof, by recommending such an extraor­dinary fitness of Temper and Demeanour for the more fruitful and beneficial Exercise of Friendly Reproof. Again, Open [sincere, plain] for he does not mean Publick) Re­buke is better than secret love, that is, than a conceal'd, stifl'd or uneasie Sorrow for a Friend's Miscarriages. Thus also, A scor­ner hears not rebuke. Whoso hates Reproof is brutish. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an Enemy are deceitful. He that rebukes a man shall afterwards find more favour than he that flatters with his tongue. Again, He that being often reprov'd hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroy'd. To cite all the other Proverbs, he has to this Purpose, is needless; since these sufficiently shew [Page 95]what a great Kindness that Prince had for Friendly Reproof.

Let the righteous smite me friendly, was the Psalmist's Request. And the Law expresly says, Levit. 19.17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: Thou shalt in any wise reprove him, and not suffer sin upon him.

Christ and his Apostles are so far from va­cating the Dictates of sound Reason, and the Commands of the Moral Law, that they design, and accordingly have quite fill'd up the Blanks of both. Love, as S. Paul tells us, is the fulfilling of the Law. Their Interpre­tations of the Tables of Moses have both di­lated the significancy, and given a more ex­plicit and perfect Account of the Contents of them. We have in their Writings a full and fixt, a clear and establish'd Rule of Life to walk by. The very positive Duties of our Religion, such as our Sacraments and other Ordinances, are not liable to the Alteration of any succeeding O Economy, for the Chri­stian O Economy is the last. We have a longer List of Moral Duties, so that the Objects of Reproof are more numerous and obvious to all Capacities in the Gospel-Age. Which Circumstance makes Christians more obnoxi­ous to the want of Reprehension, and in a Ca­pacity to know what are the proper Subjects of Reprehension, without tedious Disputes, which opportunity those wanted who liv'd [Page 96]in former Times, without the Horizon of the Gospel. Moreover, the surpassing Op­portunities we enjoy of clearly making a Distinction between Error and Truth, Virtue and Vice, together with the Supremacy of the Dispensation which we live under (which ac­comodates us with the Use of the most and richest Conduits of Grace and Assistance from above to guard our Spirits from con­tracting conspicuous and heinous Guilt, and to exalt them always nearer and nearer unto God) as also the Supremacy of the Law-giver (who is no less a Person than the Son, the express Character of God, the Antitype of all the Patriarchs and Prophets) aggravate all our visible Commissions and Omissions to a prodi­gious and tow'ring heighth of Presumption. Farther, Those Agonies which wrung Cor­puscles of Blood from Jesus, together with his effusion of his Life upon the Cross, to reconcile sinful Men to God, do exhibit the Turpitude of all Sin, in such a lively, pierc­ing and astonishing manner, that the Folly, Horror and Sting of ev'ry degree of Sin is magnified exceedingly by it's being commit­ted since his Crucifixion.

But since ev'ry Sin is more dangerous and dreadful, in the Issue, to a Christian, it must needs be confess'd that 'tis a greater Piece of Beneficence to rescue a Christian from the Clutches of a sinful Habit and an impenitent [Page 97]Posture of Mind, after his Commission of any single Act of Sin, because by such Endeavour we strive to deliver him from a more terrible Conflagration of Conscience and Condemnation at the last. For the greater the Light of any Transgressor is, the greater his Guilt is, and great Guilt is a constant incendiary of Condemnation. And since Friendly Reproof spurs Offenders on to the Exercising that Justice and wholesome Revenge upon themselves in this State for past Offences, which works in them that Re­pentance (which will ward off the Eternal Condemnation of the Supreme Judge) name­ly dread and avoidance of Sin for the future, Reprehension is to a Christian an extraordi­nary Exertion of Love, a very generous and beneficial Exploit. And since Christians, if they consider, cannot but know this, the Omission of Reproof is more Criminal in them than in a Jew or a Heathen: Especially if they consider how highly all sorts of Bene­ficence are encouraged, and with what pre­valent Motives and vigorous Exhortations they are recommended to the Welcome Re­ception of all our Powers, by our Sovereign Master Christ. Beneficence is the richest Hecatomb a Christian can devote to God. We do not now as in the state of Polytheism, serve many Gods, Usurpers, divided and appropriate tutelar Demons. Such sort of [Page 98]Divine Worship inclin'd the Thoughts of the Worshippers to patronize Cruelty, In­justice, and the sordid Inclosure of their Af­fections. But we serve one God, whose Creation of all Men and unconfin'd Sove­reignty over, and Providence for all Men, manifests him to be the true God, and the universal Friend of all Men: This Notion of the Unity of God, and of his being the common Father of us all (since to copy God wherein he is copyable, by our several Capa­cities, is the highest Perfection any Crea­ture can be copyable of) represents to us how excellent it is to have a Catholick Love for all Men: A serious Contemplation on him naturally instils this Catholick Love into us: We are the Disciples of the Jesus, not of a few haughty morose and stiff Jews, but the Jesus of all Nations and Ages. Unity, Loving and lawful Complyance, Sollicitude for one another's Good, Universal Benevo­lence and Charity are the Characteristicks of Christians: We are to wish well therefore to the Bodies, Souls and Spirits of all Men: Which does not, as some may be apt to think, in the least exclude the lawfulness of cherishing a singular concern for the Mem­bers of the Family of Faith. Neither does it force us to overlook particular Love and Friendship. We may wish well to all, but we can be helpful but to a few: Our Facul­ties [Page 99]are inclos'd tho' our Affections are not. And by being very active and immediate Be­nefactors to some, we declare that 'tis the Faintness of our Powers, not of our Affe­ctions, which keeps us from being service­able to every Individual of the whole rati­onal Globe: For whilst ev'ry Individual is particularly oblig'd and benefitted by some few Individuals, all the Individuals are pre­serv'd: And whilst all the Integral Parts are kept in just Place and Order, the whole Bo­dy, of which they are the Constituents, stands firm and does well. Whence we may learn that eminent Acts of Charity to some particular Persons are consistent with univer­sal Benevolence, and do really and centrally (as has been before observ'd) satisfie the Aim of a Publick and extensive Spirit: And therefore, that the Christian Religion's noble Intention to infuse into the Hearts of all it's Professors a cordial Love and diffusive Good Will to all Men, does not disparage and condemn private Friendship, but rather obliges us the more ardently to love those who are not only our Lovers, because they are the Lovers of all Men, but are emphati­cally so: How can we conceive that that Institution which enjoyns us to love our Ene­mies as Men should forbid us to love our Friends peculiarly as Friends? 'Tis impossi­ble [Page 100]for the same Religion to encourage the foulest Ingratitude, and the most signal Ge­nerosity.

Now therefore since Christianity directs our Kindness in an extraordinary manner to some particular Persons, and requires us to do our Friends all the good that it lyes in our Power to do for them, we may be sure that since Reproof is such a great Kindness, as has been prov'd (altho' we had had no posi­tive or particular Command to reprove) it obliges us to reprove our Friends for their Faults. Sin and the terrible Consequences of it are plainly discover'd to Christians, and therefore it must grieve Christians the more to see it in their Friends. That pecu­liar Gentleness, Judgment and other Graces which they are capable of obtaining by a wise and consciencious Improvement of the Means of Grace, fits them for the due Perfor­mance of Reproof. The Necessity and Use­fulness of Reproof has been sufficiently de­monstrated already, and may farther appear from the Scriptures, which represent Thrones and Principalities, Powers and Dominions in Spiritual High Places, incessantly conspi­ring against the Souls of Men. Nothing, therefore can be more convenient for Men than conspiring to save one another's Souls. By Reproof and other pious Acts they may [Page 101]pull one another out of the Fire: By mu­tual Admonition they may keep one another many time from falling into Sin, and by mutual Reproof from obstinate Persistance in it.

At length we may see how graciously God has made that our Duty which is our Inter­est. What we are commanded by him to do, would, if we would but take the Pains to mind the Drift of his Commands, be rea­dily dispatch'd by us, not only from a Prin­ciple of Filial Obedience to his Heavenly Ma­jesty, but, withal, as so many Instances of Loyalty to the genuine and commanding Beauty and Loveliness of ev'ry one of his Commands. Surely we may say with S. John, His Commandments are not grievous. This delightful Remark could not be past by without Ingratitude, whilst we are going to take notice that Friendly Reproof, which is of so advantagious a Nature, is one Christian Command, as the subsequent Texts witness, If a man shall trespass, says our ever-blessed Saviour, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone. Brethren, says S. Paul, in his Epistle to the Galatians, if a man be overta­ken in a fault, do ye, who are spiritual re­store such an one in the spirit of meekness. Bre­thren, says S. James, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converts the sinner from the error of [Page 102]his way shall save a Soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of Sins. In short, our Savi­our diligently obey'd his own Command: His Example was a Precept of Authority, and with the considerate might have saved him the Trouble of an Oral Command; for Reproof was honour'd with a bountiful Largess of his precious Time, who went about doing good. 'Tis true we cann't reprove with that Authority with which he, to whom all power, both in heaven and earth, was given, did reprove: Neither can we reprove par­ticular Persons of Hypocrysie, Vairglory and Pride, as he did the Scribes and Pharisees 'Tis not for us to pretend to be intimate with the Hearts of Men, as he was. No Po­licies or external Wariness could hide them from him. But tho' we cann't reprove as the Christ of God and the Jesus of Men, yet we may do some good by our Reproof, ac­cording to our poor Sphere of Knowledge and Authority. Finally, S. John prayed for Gaius's secular Prosperity, as well became a Christian Votary, and that great Favourite of Jesus, when he wish'd, That he might [...]osper and be in health even as his soul prosper'd.

SECT. I. The Entrancce into the Chapter, explain­ing the Term Spiritual in St. Paul, and assigning, in general, those several Branches and Degrees of Spirituality, which 'tis necessary for a Friendly Re­prover to be furnish'd with.

ONE great Hindrance of the chearful and constant Ministration of Friendly [Page 104]Reproof is, It's being so seldom Successful, and one great cause of it's frequent unsucces­fulness is the so usually giving it awk­wardly.

Wherefore, to prevent this troublesome Infelicity, I think it expedient to shew what Virtues are directly requisite to set up an hopeful Friendly Reprover, and so by the way what Demeanour and Methods are pro­perest to gain and recover a Friend by Re­proof.

I now consider Friendly Reproof as a Christian Duty, and shall instruct you in the Management of it as such, and for that Rea­son I chuse the great S. Paul for my Guide, who charges Christian Brethren to reprove, in case they are spiritual, intimating that it signifies nothing to attempt to do any good by Reproof, unless the Reprover be so and so qualified, and do apply it in such and such a manner. What the Endowments and Qua­lifications are which equip a Man to reprove his Friend with Success and least Offence, may therefore be easily known by examining who are the Spiritual: Here then it will be convenient to have Recourse to the Place in the Bible where this Qualification is men­tion'd. Turn to the sixth Chapter to the Galatians and the first Verse, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, do ye who are spi­ritual restore such an one in the spirit of meek­ness.

Some Commentators are of Opinion, That the Spiritual, there mention'd, are the Apo­stolical Magistrates or Bishops, because they receive a greater Measure of the Holy Spirit than other Christians; and that this Com­mand is solely given to them, to endeavour the Recovery of Excommunicated Persons. That Reverence which I bear to the Com­prehensiveness of Christian Texts will not suffer me to reject the Sense, with some on the one hand, nor to confine these Words to it with others on the other Hand: The neighbouring Precepts are general, and gi­ven to both Clergy and Laity; and there­fore I think these Words may be interpreted as a charge to them all, to strive together to do all the Service they could to the Church, by exercising all those several kinds of Chri­stian Reproof, which their different De­grees of Spirituality, and their different Sta­tions and Relations gave them Opportunity to give. Spiritual is a large Term, and it becomes Interpreters to give it that full Scope which the Apostle seems to have design'd it. The same Measure of the Spirit does not fit a Man to reprove as a Magistrate, which will qualifie him sufficiently to reprove as a Man, a Friend, and a common Christian; and yet the common Christian may be Spiritual as well as the Christian Magistrate: 'Tis the same Spirit which is communicated to all Christi­ans, [Page 106]but then 'tis communicated in different Degrees. 'Tis not my Business to enquire what degrees of Spirituality are prerequisite to authorize a Christian to accept of Magi­stracy. Neither does it become those Plain and Ordinary Christians for whose use these Course Papers were writ, to be itching to know it. Fraternal amicable and Friendly Reproof is ev'ry Man's Duty (tho' there be some savage Wretches who live without any Friendship) and therefore 'tis ev'ry Man's Duty to know how to manage it. This is my Subject, in this I am very ready to in­struct you.

Spiritual then, if we take it in no higher a Sense than a Christian endu'd with a com­petent Measure of the Divine Spirit to re­prove his Friend, denotes a Person whose Mind is so influenc'd by the Spirit as to elicit those Fruits of the Spirit in his Life and Temper, which are mention'd just before, Chap. 5. Verses, 22, 23. Now the fruits of the Spirit, saith that Great Apostle, are Love, Joy, Peace, Long-Suffering, Gentleness, Good­ness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance.

These Nine Ornaments of a Christian con­tain in them all that Virtue which is necessary to make a Christian not only a skilful Re­prover of his Friend, but also a Successful one, unless the reprov'd be very brutish indeed.

Of these therefore I shall treat particu­larly in their Order. Indeed ev'ry one of them deserves a whole distinct Discourse; but I shall content my self with giving such a tolerable account as will suffice to shew how essential they are to a well-manag'd Christian Reproof, and to extract some good Rules about the handy Administration of Re­proof.

SECT II. Of SPIRITUAL LOVE, the first Qualification.

SIncerity, or a kind Intention, is essen­tial to the Performance of any good Office to another, and therefore essential to a Friendly Reproof, both as it is a Friendly Office and a Christian Duty. Now there can be no true Sincerity where there is not a precedent Plantation of Love in the Heart; and according to the Degree and Firmness of the Prepossession of this delicate Principle of Action, there our Sincerity is greater or less. Answerably also to the Value and Dignity of the Object of our Love, our Love is more or less excellent: Our Love takes its Denomi­nation from it's Object. Spiritual Love there­fore is that Love which Christ recommend­ed [Page 108]to his Followers and the Spirit of God, call'd the Spirit by way of Eminence, kindles in our Hearts.

This Spiritual Love may be divided into the Love of God, and the Love of God's Crea­tures.

I. The first Part of Spiritual Love is the Love of God. As Love is the first Incentive of all voluntary Action; so the Love of God is the leading Principle and Impulse of all Christian Action. Our Love of God must fit in the Throne of the Affections, because he is the Fountain of all Loveliness. 'Tis but sitting that this Love of God should be the reigning Principle of Action in rational Creatures, who are capable of knowing that God is, and that he is the perfectest Be­ing, the Creator of all Things, and the Au­thor of all Perfection.

This Love of God cannot be immoderate; for as his Creating all other beings but his uncreated self, shews that he was once more perfect than all of them; so his continual Preservation of them and their incessant De­pendence upon him, after their Creation, declares him to continue the same Perfect­est Being still. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without End. Our Love of him therefore ought to be con­stant. It should never Fade and Change. But God being uncapable of receiving any [Page 109]Kindness from us, because his immense and unparall'd Perfections raise him above the possibility of being an Object of Beneficence; the only way whereby we can express our Love is to obey his known Will. Hereby we may know that we love God, if we keep all his Commandments. He command us no­thing but what he knows is convenient for us to do: Our Acts of Obedience therefore are not Acts of Merit, with respect to him, but Acts of Decency and Kindness to our selves: Which Conservation and Promo­tion of our Beings, by so doing, is prima­rily owing to his Wisdom, who first com­manded us to do them. So that Humility, and a low Conception of any Performance of our own, is a necessary Ingredient of a true Love of God. Now this part of Spi­ritual Love is a necessary Qualification for our Christian Administration of Friendly Reproof, as 'tis a Christian Duty in Gene­ral, and not at all peculiar to this or any other Particular Duty. Whenever, there­fore, we think of Reproving a Friend, we ought, upon this Consideration, to remem­ber it as a good universal Rule; this ought to be done Principally, because God has com­manded it; for the doing or not doing any thing Principally, because God has command­ed the one, and prohibited the other to be done, is the greatest Expression we can make [Page 110]to God of our Love. This way of Expres­sing our Love and Esteem of God is what is meant by that known Phrase, having an Eye chiefly to the Glory of God. And when we offer Inferior Motives to perswade Men to do any Duty, we do so in Condescension to the Frailty of a common Faith, that by demonstrating the fitness of an Action in such a Method as does not surmount the Verge of a sensual Apprehension, we may, by degrees, train up their Minds to the rea­dy Concession of this grand Postulatum in Christ's School; This is fitting to be done, be­cause God, the author of all beauty, has command­ed it to be done. The Entring upon an Acti­on with this Reason in our Hearts, as the main Ground and Spring of our setting about it, is that which consecrates Actions and makes a Reproof or any other Action a peculiar Object of God's Care: 'Tis this that secures his Blessing upon it, of which we need not fear failing, unless the Action be of such a nature as to require the Concur­rence of some other voluntary Action under God (for it may happen often in many Acti­ons, that another voluntary Agent, for whom 'tis necessary to do something towards the Completion, I speak of the Methods of God's ordinary Providence, may hinder the perfect Growth of God's favourable Concurrence with such a dedicated Action.) Thus when [Page 111]we reprove with an Eye to God's Glory, God begins to concur with this Reproof, for the sake of our good Intention, and makes it as fair for Success as, this Action consider'd as a solitary Action in the Reprover, can be: But since the Concurrence of a second volun­tary Agent, namely the Reproved, is neces­sary, under God, and conjoyntly with the Reprover, to give this Action perfect Success by his Reformation; if the Reprov'd is per­verse, God may withold his Concurrence, and so the Action not be crown'd with Success: Nevertheless, this Action was blest with Success, as far as it was the Action of the Reprover, tho' it was not blest as it had re­lation to the Reprov'd: God and the Re­prover have done their Parts, and 'tis not fitting that they should be charg'd with the Faults of the Reprov'd: So that whatever the Issue of a dedicated Action be, among Men, it cann't be unsuccessful, if it be con­sider'd as begun to procure and continue us in the Favour of God; and therefore ev'ry Action, begot by a Principle of Love to God, is certainly Matter of Satisfaction and Com­placency to a reflectful Mind. Which Con­sideration makes the Agent chearful, constant and piously resolute to carry on his Attempt, and not to be distrustful of the Goodness of it, whether Honour or Dishonour attend our doing it, whilst he lives among Men of [Page 112]so many different Tempers. His knowing the Action to be a good Action in it's self, because God has commanded it, and a good Action too in himself, the Agent, because he did it purely because God commanded it, frees him from the Trouble of making Su­perstitious Observations upon the Event. This is the consciencious and the happy A­gent. For you hence see that he that does any good Action, because it is a Duty in ge­neral, has a common Principle to act by, and cann't miss of attaining his main End, viz. the Favour of God, in respect to whose Commands he does it: Whereas, on the contrary, he who does an Action (tho' good in it self) sometimes to nourish Pride, some­times because 'tis gainful in that Sense in which the World uses it, or because this or that Action is the darling Duty of his Con­stitution, so that it is but casually an Act of Obedience to God, but really an Act of Ido­latry and Homage to self; in short, some­times for one Reason, and sometimes for another (if the Sense of a God and his Na­ture and Laws be not extinguish'd in his Mind) he sets about it anxiously, for he may as well lose as gain his End; and if his Re­proof, or any other Action, tho' good in it self, fails of Success, he has Reason, stand Cases how they will, to doubt that it was not so much because of the Default of other [Page 113]voluntary Agents, but because God did not vouchsafe to prosper it, for the Discourage­ment of such sinister and pitiful Motives of Action. Be sure therefore, Christian, when you are about to endite your Friend lovingly, for any Transgression, to remember, before you use any Human Means, to look up to God, as him who has Commended the At­tempt, by commanding it. Entertain an humble Sense of the inconsiderableness of your own Endeavours, and then chearfully trusl the Issue with him.

II. The second Part of Christian Spiri­tual Love is the Love of God's Creatures. Now our Love of the Creatures may be immode­rate. This is manifest: for since we ought to love God above all things, 'tis certainly unlawful to love the Creatures more than, or as much as, him. Our first Rule therefore to be observ'd in the Love of the Creatures is, That the Creatures must neither have a greater nor an equal Share with God in our Affections. But tho' we must beware not to love them immoderately, yet they may all claim some Degrees of Love from us, be­cause they are all the Workmanship of God; and if we love the Creatures as they are the Works of God, our Love of the Creatures is an Expression of our Love of God.

But farther, to make our Love of the Creatures just and moderate, these four Rules should be observ'd.

1. The whole Universe of Creatures is to be belov'd more than any particular Species; for the most glorious Species of all is con­tain'd in the Universe of Species's; and be­sides the whole Universe of Creatures gives more Glory to God by their harmonious Va­riety, and are a greater Demonstration of the Existence, Power, Wisdom and Majesty of God than any, even the most glorious single Species of Creatures.

2. All the several Species's of Creatures ought to be lov'd in different Measures, ac­cording to the different Degrees of their Resemblance of God; because one Species does not bear such signal Characters of the immense Perfections of God their Creator, as another does.

3. Ev'ry particular Species is to be belov'd more than any one single Creature of that Species; because ev'ry individual is con­tain'd in the Species; and ev'ry Species is the immediate Workmanship of God, whe­ther it be a Species of Generable or Ingene­rable Creatures; but we know very well that all the Individual Creatures of Genera­ble Species, setting aside the two first Proto­plasts of each Species, are not the immediate [Page 115]Works of God in such a Supreme Sense as Angels and those Protoplasts were.

4. Particular Creatures of the same Spe­cies, in case they are voluntary Creatures, ought to be lov'd by us, more or less, ac­cording to their different Improvements of their Nature.

They all resolve themselves naturally into this Proposition. Creatures are the Objects of Man's Love in different Degrees, accord­ing to the different Degrees of their Ap­proach to the Nature of God. Whence, among other Consequences, we may deduce, First, That we should prefer the Good of our Neighbour's Soul before the good of his Body, because Man's Spirit is of an Angeli­cal Nature, which is the Supreme Nature we know of under God; but his Body is of a brutal Nature, which is a Nature inferior to his own Nature, if his whole Nature be consider'd. Secondly, That we should love Man's Soul and Body, in Conjunction, more than either of them apart, for a Human Spi­rit or a Human Body, alone, is but an im­perfect Creature. That a Human Body is so, I suppose I need not prove: But that a Human Spirit is such, perhaps, may sound somewhat harsh: But, is it does sound so, I desire you to consider, That if the Soul, when it leaves the Body, were a perfect [Page 116]Creature, there could be no Reason given, Why after this State no Man is capable of .preparing himself for Heaven? of which we are as certain as that the Scriptures are the Word of God. And yet the final Sen­tence is at as great a Distance from Separate Souls (by Separate Souls I only mean Souls not yet rebodied) as it is from those that are yet alive; for God has appointed one Day, in which he will judge the whole World. This Truth is likewise manifested by consi­dering, That all Souls, immediately before their final Condemnation or Justification, shall be rebodied by the Omnipotence of God; and then, and not till then, be either per­perfectly Miserable or perfectly Happy (hap­py or miserable they will be (tho' separated) but not perfectly so.) Thirdly, We hence learn that ev'ry Man ought to have some Men the peculiar Objects of his Love and Care: For Men are the chief Objects of Man's As­sistance. Angels indeed are more lovely than Men; but then they're above the want of Man's Help. Now the Soul, were it to benefit the Human Universe, is to benefit some few particularly, as has been before shewn. Fourthly, Every Man should chuse for the peculiar Objects of his Love, the best Men, or at least those of the best Inclinati­ons, with whom he can get acquainted; for good Men, who labour to polish and perfect [Page 117]their Nature, love God more than bad Men, who deface their Make; for good Men strive to be more like God, and a Desire of being assimilated and united to any Object, shews an entire and firm Complacency in that Ob­ject: But Wicked Men so impair their Frame, that they ev'ry Day go farther and farther from God's Presence, and are nearer and nearer to that horrible Condition, of being disowned by God. When I say, They flie from God's Presence, I do not speak with respect to God's Omnipresence, for the right Hand of his Power holds them fast, where­ever they are, but my Meaning is, That God is less visible to them here, where nei­ther Mercy nor Justice have their perfect Work, and will be eternally invisible to them in that Glorious Attribute, his Mercy, in the other World.

Now, first, we may learn that this Spiri­tual Love of the Creatures is a necessary Qualification for the Performance of Friendly Reproof, if we consider the particular Na­ture of this Duty, either with respect to the Reprover, or with respect to Reproof it self, and the Subjects of Friendly Reproof; or with Respect to the Reprov'd, who is the Object of Reproof. For first, As for the Reprover, it makes a Man do this Duty with chearfulness: For his greater Love for Souls than Bodies convinces him that his [Page 118]Friend's Peace of Conscience, which is the Reward of a sober Life, does bear some Glimpse of the Satisfaction of God himself, is a more solid, perfect and durable Pleasure than the transient and momentary Pleasures of Sin, which Conviction makes his Reprov­ing his Friend not only a good Act, as it is good in it self; but a good Act in the Agent, and consequently makes it a more rational and self-satisfying Act of Charity in him, which will make him administer it chearfully and constantly; and by his chearfully doing his Duty he procures the Pleasure of God, for God loveth a cherful Giver. A Man that loves the Creatures spiritually, knows that by his Reproof, which is a sign of a transient and wholsome Displeasure, he en­deavours to prevent his Friend's Pertinacy in Sin, which will degrade his Friend's Be­ing, and force him, out of Love to God, to be eternally displeas'd with his Friend: For Devils and damn'd Ghosts are their own Creatures: They are Eternal Enemies to God, and therefore are no longer reputed the Creatures of God, or to be look'd on by God as such; and therefore 'tis impossible to love God eternally, without hating them with a perfect and unalterable Hatred. Con­sequently, when our Friend is once enclos'd in that horrible Order, by his Impenitence in this State, we must either part with ou [...] [Page 119]Friend or our God for ever; but our Reproof may make him exercise that Repentance, to which (notwithstanding some loving Feuds and Uneasinesses during the Intervals of giv­ing and receiving Reproof) we shall owe the Eternal and uninterrupted Enjoyment of both him and God too, where he will be as much above the want of Reproof, in his Ca­pacity, as the bright Seraphim or Cheru­bims themselves. Secondly, Spiritual Love is a necessary Qualification for a Friendly Reprover, if we consider the Nature of Reproof it self, to make it Perfect and Im­partial; for this Principle will not suffer him to pass by any visible Faults, as many do, who reprove for some Sins, but do not re­prove for others. The Spiritual Love of the Creature does make a Friend not only reprove his Friend for Drunkenness, Unclean­ness, Prophaneness and such gross Sins, but also for those Extravagancies of the Tongue, and other Faults which the World counts small Sins, and not needful to be reprov'd, because they are not so destructive of Tem­poral Credit and bodily Health, or lay the Committers of them open to the Lash of the Law. Men of carnal Minds will reprove one another for Vices of the first Nature, and that too with a sincere Affection; but then this Affection is but Brutal, Partial and Injudicious: 'Tis an Affection only for one [Page 120]another's Bodies and Secular Interests, and does not come up to the noble Pitch of true Spiritual Love. Should one of those carnal Well-wishers see his Confederate, for the Term Friend is too excellent to be us'd of them, commit some private Act of Injustice or any other Sin which does not strike the Eye of the World, and so undermine their Secular Credit or Welfare, he would rather approve of, than reprove his Chrony for so doing: For as for the Welfare of the Soul, lie is not at all sollicitous about that; and when he reproves him for palpable and open Vices, that threaten his Health and Temporal Reputation, he only does it out of Self-Love, because constant Companions being always judg'd to be alike, one Friend's Reputation suffers with the Reputation of another; or at least he considers that a Friend of an ill Name will have the less Ability to serve him, because his Interest is thereby weakned in the World. But one who re­proves by the Impulse of the Divine Princi­ple of Spiritual Love, having a View of the Soul and the Body together, as they consti­tute one Man, will reprove a Friend with Regard to his whole Manhood, and therefore will reprove him not only for those Sins which maim his Secular Welfare, but for all visible Sins whatsoever, whether Commissi­ons or Omissions, and that because he knows [Page 121]they are Sins, and therefore, without doubt pernicious to the Soul here, and which, if unrepented of, will treasure up Anguish to both Soul and Body in the other World: For he knows that no Actions can be so private but God sees them, tho' the Eyes of the World are regardless of them, and that all Sin being contrary to the Nature of God, God must needs hate Sin, and will punish it hereafter if it be unrepented of. He wisely considers, that let a sinful World pass as fa­vourable a Sentence as they please on Men of loose Lives, whose Interests do not stand in Competition with theirs, nor hinder their Temporal Quiet, that his Friend must, how­ever one Day answer for it before the final Tribunal, as well as Cut-throats and Robbers must for their Publick Injuries which molest o­thers. If they are Sins, be they against which of Tables they will, the Devil is very well pleas'd; for he knows that if they are un­repented of, he can take an occasion from them to blast the Reputation of the Agent before God and Angels, whose Esteem ought most to be priz'd. So that we see how necessary a Qualification for a Friendly Re­prover a Spiritual Love of the Creatures is: For it has a Regard to both the present and the future State, and if our Welfare and Pro­sperity in the present stands in Competition with our Prosperity in the future, it submits [Page 122]our present Welfare to our future, because the future is Eternal and the present may be buta Moment, at least 'tis but a Moment, if compar'd with the future. So also if the Pleasure of the Body stands in Competition with that of the Spirit, and consequentially with that of the whole Man, if we have a Regard to Futurity, it submits that to this, the lesser to the greater. Whence 'tis mani­fest that Spiritual Love is the perfectest Love with which we can love our Friend, because it comprehends the whole Duration of our Friend's Existence, and all his Human Capa­cities. Thirdly, We may farther learn from the third Corollary (which was drawn from those Rules which we laid down as ne­cessary to be observ'd, to regulate our Love of the Creatures and to make it spiritual) that a peculiar Love for the Person whom we reprove, is essential to a Friendly Reproof, and so the Spiritual Love of the Creatures is a necessary Qualification in a Friendly Re­prover, with respect to the Reprov'd, be­cause it regulates the Choice of the particu­lar Object of our Reproof, for (tho it com­prehends all Subjects of Reproof) yet it re­gulates the Reprover a different way, with respect to the Object, for tho' all Offenders, whether more or less, are the Objects of Re­proof, yet ev'ry Offender is not an Objects of Friendly Reproof in ev'ry Man's Eyes. [Page 123]To make a Friendly Reproof agreeable with a Spiritual Love of the Creatures, 'tis re­quisite that he whom we reprove be our Friend. One of the Rules of a Christian's Love of the Creatures is, To love his Fellow Creatures above all other Creatures under Heaven: Now if he wishes well to them all, he must, as has been shewn, love some more peculiarly than others. Should ev'ry Man attempt to reprove, or in any other respect relieve ev'ry Man, there would, through the impossibility of performing it, be nothing but attempting to do good without bringing any attempt to Completion, and so there would be no perfect good done. Wherefore the good Christian endeavours to exert his Love, according to that degree of Strength that God has given him: He can very chear­fully praise God, for having made him a Man, and therefore will be far from aspir­ing to be above the Capacity of an Angel: He considers that it is God's sole and invio­lable Prerogative to shew Mercy over all his Works, and therefore humbly shews his un­feign'd and discreet Love to all, by being a peculiar, constant and extraordinary Bene­factor to some. God and Nature have taught us, by the Deficiency of our Strength, that private Friendships are the strongest Pillars of Universal Love. He that climbs to take hold of the Godhead, will fail of discharging [Page 124]the Duty of Humanity. A wise Christian will not, under Pretence to that Spiritual Love, the Nature of which many, who pretend to it, do not so much as understand, act pragmatically. If he is call'd to be a Temporal Magistrate, he will reprove as a Temporal Magistrate: If he is call'd to be a Bishop, he will reprove as a Bishop: If he has Children or Servants, he will reprove as a Parent or Master: If he has Pupils or De­pendents he will reprove as a Tutor or a Pa­tron: And if there is extraordinary Occasi­on of Casual Reproof, he will chearfully obey the sudden Call of the Divine Providence, and stand up for the Honour of Religion. Otherwise he will meddle with no Body's Faults except his own and his dear Friend's, who sticks closer to him than Brother to Bro­ther. Nevertheless, if he sees a Stranger offend, and knows one who is intimately ac­quainted with the said Offender, he will mind that Man's Friend of his Trust. But not to digress; Friends are equal, they know how to insinuate into one another, as far as is con­sistent with Duty, and to please one another's Humors, when there is occasion to speak of a Fault. They know what particular Arts of Address and charitable Policy are most likely to work best upon one another: They can urge, That they arc oblig'd in Fidelity, Gratitude and Love to reprove. Besides, [Page 125]the Remembrance of a Friend's Favours and Helpfulness ingratiates his Requests, sweet­ens his Reproof, and makes the Physick less loathsom: His Universal Assistance suggests that the Reproof is given out of a loving Heart, as far as Love is discoverable: But any Act, if it be construed an Act of Love, how tart soever it be at the first to the Taste, is pleasant and grateful in the Digestion. Once more, a Friend may reprove constantly: He can reprove with Freedom and Parrhesie; he need not do't obliquely and cowardly. All these Circumstances plainly shew how necessary 'tis for us to take care that we reprove none but our Friends for our Faults. Indeed a Friend's Reproof is not always welcome: There are a great many Motives that go to the making it so, and therefore a Stranger's Reproof can look but for cold Entertain­ment. This I thought fit to insist on, be­cause most of those few who can be got to consider, that Reproof is a Christian Duty, find it so hard to be induc'd to remember not to stand tampering with the Sores of Stran­gers: So very much has Friendly Reproof suffer'd by those unseasonable Expressions of good Will, which indiscreet Reprovers have made. We need not question but ev'ry Man hath some Person whom he calls his Friend, and if they who pretend to be his Friends, do not shew themselves friendly in this Re­spect, [Page 126]let them see to it, what is that to us? No Man can be ev'ry Man's Friend without Fickleness and Inconstancy: And, consider­ing the deprav'd Tempers of the generality, Reproof is not a sit Act to begin with, in order to recommend us to any one's parti­cular Esteem and Friendship: So that it is properest, unless you meet with an extraor­dinary wise Professor Christianity, to give a Signet of your peculiar Kindness in all other Instances first, and perhaps Reproof may be grateful in the rear; for if we would cure the infirm, we must handle them as in­firm. In short, when any one is your Friend, you may reprove him as your Friend: If he is not your Friend, 'tis his Friend's Business, not yours, to reprove him for his lesser Faults. Give others fair Liberty to chuse their Sur­geon, since they have as much Right to a free Choice as we can have; and if they make an ill Choice, and will not chuse new ones, after they have made such a Choice, they are rational Creatures as well as we, and have Ministers to direct them, and their Blood will not be required at our Hands. Nature will seldom let any but a Friend's Reproof operate kindly: No Man can do all Men good: Let us therefore do good throughly to those few with whom we have handsome Opportunities of striking a wise Friendship, and then we need not question but that the [Page 127]great Inspector of the generous Desires of our Hearts, and the shortness of our Abili­ties will not condemn us for not doing more than we were able to do, and not assaying rash, extempore and effoet Charities, but will pronounce us before Angels and Men in the great Day of Accounts, faithful Stewards of all our Faculties, to God, and God's stately Universe of Creatures.

SECT. III. Of SPIRITUAL JOY, a second Qualification for a Friendly Reprover.

THE great Alienation of Human Na­ture from the Divine, by the Fall of Adam, has engendred such dismal and dark Apprehensions of Virtue in our Minds, that we are apt to suspect that a Hook lies under ev'ry Reproof, and that those who endea­vour to separate us from our Sins have a Design to abandon us to a State of Melan­choly.

Wherefore, to stab this groundless Suspi­cion in the Hearts of any whom we would reprove, Spiritual JOY is a necessary Ac­coutrement for a friendly Reprover: He must beware of giving way to any Symptoms of Churlishness and Melancholy, such as [Page 128]clouded Looks and waspish Answers, and endeavour to breath an Air of innocent Ala­crity in the whole Tenor of his Conversa­tion. By Joy I don't mean foolish and pro­fuse Laughter; no, I am speaking of Spiri­tual Joy, a Joy that is the Author of sober and serene Smiles, Smiles that agree with a thankful Recital of Psalms and Hallelujahs in God's Temple: This represents the intens­est Acts of Devotion as Acts of Pleasure: This is a Pleasure which the Carnal are not capable of, and yet those who enjoy Spiri­tual Pleasures enjoy the prime of all carnal Pleasures, for indeed none but a Moderate Use of Carnal Pleasures can properly be said to be Enjoyment. He that moderately uses them, has the Prime and Youth of sensual Pleasures, without that Languor, Deadness, and those Diseases which the immoderately Sensual find in the extreme and decrepit Use of them: In short, Smiles, which are the Presents of a sedate and gratified Conscience. 'Tis Conscience that must be pleas'd: For Conscience only can procure this Joy of God's Spirit for us. This Spiritual Joy then is to be got by constant, circumspect Walking: For Conscience has an Eye always bent upon us, and therefore we must be always very cautious of doing any thing which will grate upon Conscience. Innocence, delightful Re­flections and Obedience to the Divine Pre­cepts [Page 129]is the richest Sacrifice we can offer to Conscience. True Universal Repentance is the only Holocaust with which we can ap­pease this great Personage, which sits Repre­sentative of the Majesty of Heaven in ev'ry Human Breast.

This Reverence of Conscience is a great Preservative against Envy, to which the other Sense of Spiritual Joy is opposite, viz. Fraternal or Friendly Gratulation. Gratula­tion is a Duty, which through the Preva­lence of Flattery, being confounded with it, is very much despis'd and rejected in this Age. What Gratulation is, and what an excellent Office of Friendship it is, will take up too much Room in this Treatise to shew it at large, for it cann't be done without discussing the great Ends the Creator had in imprinting on our Natures the Faculty of Admiration, an Appetite after Glory; wherein the true Use and Abuse of it con­sists; how Gratulation differs from Flattery, and how we may distinguish these two Acts in another. Farther, this cann't be done without shewing wherein Pride consists, and what is not Pride, which seems very like it; as also without explaining the Nature of Vain-glory, and what is not Vain glory, which seems at first Sight to unthoughtful Men to be so. The generality have very ill Notions of these Matters, and therefore to [Page 130]instruct them fully about the due giving and receiving Gratulation, I am convinc'd (tho' against my Will) there will be need of a di­stinct Treatise. However, I shall speak two or three Words of it, as far as it has Con­nection, I think, with the Duty of Reproof. To return then, whoever leads such a Spiri­tual Life as to rejoyce in the Lord, will be so far from grudging and fretting, that he will exult, triumph and roar like the adoring Waves in Heaven, through Joy of Heart, when he sees God and his lovely Features de­lineated in another virtuous Person: He will rejoyce, according to the excellent Counsel of S. Paul, with them who spiritually rejoyce. Do you therefore, who would reprove accep­tably, learn hence to be ev'ry now and then congratulating your Friend's Virtues. Seize on all Opportunities of acquainting your Friend how the pleasant Remembrance of such and such a good Action in him, chears and transports your Spirits, and confirms and heightens your Satisfaction, in having made Choice of him for your Friend. Frequently tell him, That you think Heaven expects no small Improvement in Piety from you, upon the account of your Intimacy with such a brave Example of Virtue as he is. This is the way to convince him that whenever you chide him you are not egg'd on by a Spirit of Envy, Detraction, Uncharitableness, or [Page 131]an Humour that feasts on other Men's Faults, to censure him, but that you were con­strain'd by a great Love to his Soul, and a Principle of Fidelity to your Pretences to reprove him. He that praises always is trea­cherous; and he that is always complaining cann't but be very Burthensome. By own­ing freely and frequently his Instances of a Virtuous Conduct, and hanging much upon these fragrant Flowers, your Reproofs will not tempt him to be dronish and despair: And by telling him oft of his Miscarriages, your just and prudent Commendations will not puff him up. Your Praises-will prove your Reproofs no Reproaches, and your Reproofs will vindicate your Praises from being calumniated for Flatteries. The con­tempering Gratulations for good Actions, with Reproof for bad ones, shews a true Friendship, as Agapete, that pious Deacon, has very well observ'd. He only mentions Speech, but what he says may very well be apply'd to Actions. Look upon those, says that excellent Author, to be your truest Friends, who diligently weigh your Dis­courses in a just Ballance, and express a Fellow-complacency with you in the best of them; but are troubled and frown when you speak otherwise; for these pro­duce a sure Token of their unfeigned Freindship. [...]. [Page 132]Farther, your intermixing Gratulations with Reproofs, shews that you are not guilty of too forward a Suspicion. Thus Cicero, in the forecited Essay upon Friendship, when he had just given a Charge to Friends to beware of Dissimulation, re­commends a sweetness and pleasantness of Behaviour to our Friends; For, says he, there can be no Friendship but amongst good Men; for a good Man will observe these two Rules in Friendship; First, not to dissemble or cloak any thing which offends him; for a fair and sincere Person, who is of a generous and ingenuous Tem­per, will rather chuse to be an open Enemy than a deceitful discontented Friend, and such an one who will not speak his Mind freely in case of Transgression: So also, secondly, he will defend his Friend's Reputation against the Accusations of others, and scorn to be always suspecting that his Friend has violated some Law of Reason. Cour­tesie and Pleasantness in Speech and Demeanour is that which seasons Friendship and gives it a grateful Savour. In complyance then with the Judgments of wise Men, do you, when you reprove your Friend for a Fault, men­tion one of your Friend's principal Virtues, and ask him calmly how incongruous that [Page 133]Divine Grace, and the Sin for which you reprove him are. Ah! say with Fraternal concern, Is it not a thousand Pities your Life is not all of a Piece, and that you have not a whole set of Graces answerable to that? And that he may believe that your so greedily praising whatever you see laudable in him, does not proceed from Par­tiality from him, or is merely us'd as an En­gine and for Stratagem's sake, endeavour to bring your self to a Habit of inflaming his and your own Emulation, by refining on the Excellencies of all the Heroick Examples which you either know in Person, have heard or read of. Talk not of other Men's Lives, are the admired Words of an admirable Wri­ter; if by Lives, as the Context informs us, be understood their Faults, Misfortunes and Private Concerns. But were it possible for an Author of that excellent Spirit to have coun­sel'd us to have declin'd Speaking of the Vir­tues of others, according to the false Glosses of Modern Conversation, they would have been the fittest Motto to be inscrib'd on the Gates of Hell that any Division of that City of Horror and Confusion could have invent­ed. The Desperate have made themselves uncapable of Virtue, and therefore the Thoughts of Virtue are dire and odious to them. Virtue indeed is a beautiful and plea­sant Object in it self. Nothing less than an [Page 134]Heaven, a God, an all-wise and powerful, a supreme and infinitely gracious Being to be eternally possess'd, is the Purchase of it: This they know, and, O wretch'd Creatures! They know withal, That there is an unpass­able Gulph fix'd between it and them: Thus they do believe and tremble. So that a mere Notional Faith is very consistent with a State of Eternal Distance from God: As Unbodied Spirits, they clearly see wherein true Happiness consists, and the means that lead to it. 'Tis this joyn'd with a Sense of Unattainableness of it to them, that turns ev'ry Exertion of Joy unto good Spirits into a Thunderbolt against themselves: 'Tis for this Reason that ev'ry Virtue in Man whets their Rage, when they sincerely consider, That had they follow'd after a firm Virtue when they were here, as well as those Chri­stians whose Prosperity they envy and conti­nually undermine, that dreadful Condition need not have been their Portion. But with the Inhabitants of the Earth, blessed be God, it is not so bad: Nevertheless, 'tis too rea­sonable to conclude from what has been said, That their Souls are very near those black Clims, who feel all manner of Vice, but especially Envy and Uncharitableness, so im­perious in their Breasts that they cannot bear with the mention of a good Example, or those Graces of God in those who are the brightest [Page 135]Lights of a dark Age: They will grant that a Man may be Proud, Self-conceited, Phari­saical, Vainglorious, and make a shew of Pi­ety before Men; they know so much by themselves, their Experience tells them this is practicable; they have acted a Part before now as well as the demurest of their Neigh­bours, and can, upon occasion, do it again, in the presence of a pious Prince, Benefa­ctor or the like. But as for such or such an one's being Devout from a Sense of an omni-present Being, and an inward Complacency through a state of sincere Righteousness, constant Peace and ineffable Joy in the Holy Ghost, they question that very much: You may easily apply this to other Virtues, and the false Names with which they take care to sully and obscure them; but ev'ry Failing, especially in one who seems to have a little more Zeal than the inconsiderate Herd, is rich and just Matter of Censure and Invective. Here Tautology and Exaggeration is pardon­able, and you may prate and parrot with a Grace: Comparisons themselves are not odi­ous, because by this means the Drone and the Sot is as good as his Neighbours, tho' he does not make so much Appearance: But to buffet his Ears with a tedious and impertinent Harangue about this Man's Temperance, another's Industry, lashes his Idleness and Debaucheries, and it seems in this Age is for­mal [Page 136]and unmannerly; the Sight of a good Example gauls him sufficiently, and there­fore to dwell upon such Topicks in Company will disturb Conscience too much for the Sin­ner to enjoy his deceitful Mirth. The good Man's Virtue, naturally of it self, upbraids the Sinner with his Transgressions, he re­proves his Thoughts: He is grievous to him to behold, for his Life is not like other Men's, his Ways are of another Fashion; and hence it is that tho' the Wicked Man confronts the Sun in his scandalous Courses, and the whole Town is made privy to his Debaucheries, yet when his Infamy is ripe, and he sees him­self become the Nusance and Contempt of those that are round about him, the virtuous Neighbour notwithstanding his constant, courteous and peaceable Demeanor, is suspect­ed, nay, 'tis well if not positively arraign'd with an Oath, to be the sly Informer and a vile pragmatical Person: And to render him such, if he speaks the last of the Company, tho never so innocently of another Person's Fault which first provok'd to it, or modest­ly addresses to them not to be so severe on the absent, they will squeeze an Offence out of his Words: They have an hundred Gins in their Ears laid for him, and do not que­stion but they shall catch some slight occasion or other, for a monstrous Report. Where­fore, virtuous Reader, 'twill be our safest [Page 137]way to leave them; and since they resist the Endeavours of their Friends for their Con­version, let us by no means forget them in our Closets. I am now speaking to Men of Candor, who delight in praising famous Men, and are as eager to admire their Splen­dours as they are to declaim against their Defects. You know this is the way to imitate them, and advance daily in Virtue; to ex­cel yourselves as much as you do your Neigh­bours already, and yet still to be humbler ev'ry Day than other: Viewing and confer­ring about excellent Examples curbs a good Christians extravagant Thoughts of himself, and yet makes him a fitter Object of self­esteem; hereby he has always very sensible Exhortations to Virtue; for Examples not only exhibit Virtue as lovely, but to be pos­sible and attainable; nay, it will not suffer him to be contented with an ordinary Mea­sure of it, and to be at a stand, but always gasping after nearer Approaches to a perfect Human Representation of his Creator. Speaking of them to generous Souls is an inoffensive and effectual Reproof of not only opposite Practices, but ev'ry degree of Slug­gish Lukewarmness, and other Infirmities which are so little taken notice of but by self-consciousness, that we have no express Names for them to reprove them directly: And, I believe, this indirect Reproof, by [Page 138]the Rules of Prudence, should always be tryed first; that the reproved Person may have an occasion of hereby knowing how far Generosity has got Ground in his Heart. This will demonstrate that you delight in Virtue, and that you reprove Sin from a hearty hatred of Sin. Throw a Rose there­fore on ev'ry worthy Man's Coffin: His Me­rits claim Respect to his Monument: They may exact some Tribute towards the persum­ing his Name, and the embalming his Me­mory from ev'ry pious Mouth.

In short, if we would accomplish gene­rous Purposes by mourning with them that mourn, 'tis expedient to rejoyce in due Sea­son with them who rejoyce. The first is a powerful Antidote against Vice, the latter a brisk Spur to Virtue.

SECT. IV. Of SPIRITUAL PEACE, the third Qualification of a Friendly Re­prover.

Spiritual PEACE is a necessary Qua­lification, whether we take it, first, for the particular Virtue of Peaceableness. Or, secondly, for a Satisfaction which arises from a general Testimony of the Reprover's indu­strious [Page 139]Endeavour to lead an universally righ­teous Life. Or, thirdly, If we take Peace for a particular Satisfaction from the Re­prover's consciousness of his own good In­tention, and of the just Grounds of his Re­proof. And, first, 'tis necessary that the Re­prover be noted for the Virtue of Peace­ableness; for he that is given to Censori­ousness and unreasonable Suspicions, to be Quarrelsome and Upbraiding on ev'ry occa­sion, exposes his Reproof to Misconstructi­on, and gives Birth to a Jealousie in the Re­prov'd, that he reproves with a fierce Ap­petite, and gluts a malicious and envious Temper in so doing. As therefore you prize the thriving of your just and friendly Re­proofs, beware of running into false and counterfeit Reproof. Take heed of con­founding Admonition and Reproof. Remem­ber that God alone is the Judge of Hearts. Beware of arraigning any one for Hypo­crisie, like Job's indiscreet Reprovers, for that's enough to provoke the Patient himself, and will betray them at least into some inde­cent Justifications; for the Imputation of Hypocrisie is always very offensive, because 'tis not for one Man to arraign another of Hypocrisie; and therefore to such presum­ptuous Reprovers, Job's Words may be re­ply'd, How forcible are right Words, but what does your Arguing Reprove? ch. 6. v. 25. [Page 140]Their uncouth Reproofs seem'd to be the greatest Affliction of all to him; and indeed 'tis a common Fault for People to be censuring others very deeply and severely, when they are in Calamity through their adulterate and confin'd Notions of the Methods of Divine Providence. If they're Persons more Cir­cumspect than others, as to their external Carriage, then, if they can observe some Specks or Failings in them, they are apt to think that all their Devotion and Wariness of Behaviour was nothing but Hypocrisie, and a Net to get Love and Repute amongst Men; but these should remember, that not­withstanding some particular Offences, they might be sincere as to the main, and that Afflictions are sent rather as Signs of Favour than Tokens of Favour by our Heavenly Fa­ther. In short, not only beware of the more open Violations of Peace, but don't so much as vouchsafe your Ear to a back­biting and slanderous Tongue. Strive to Reconcile many Differences, and to re­pair broken Credits, and live as peaceably with all Men as 'tis possible for you to do in this Abusive and Opprobrious World; as far as is consistent with your Affection for your Religion, and that Peace of God and Conscience which passes all Ʋnderstanding, and which the Violence of no Rabshekah can take from you. Follow Peace, I say, with all [Page 141]Men, with this Limitation: For the peace­able Man's Reproofs must be taken in good Part, if any one's are.

But secondly, Peace is a necessary Quali­fication, if by Peace be meant that Satisfa­ction which arises from a general Testimony within the Reprover, that it is his hearty Endeavour to live Godlily, Righteously and So­berly, notwithstanding very numerous Imper­fections in him may be seen by his Friends in this Mortal State. This Satisfaction is in a great degree the Largess of the Spirit of God; and indeed this Testimony is necessary to make a Friend vigorous and earnest in giving Reproof, to inspire a proper Coun­tenance, and to make it awful, that his Re­prehension may be the keener, and touch the reprehended Person to the Quick. The Sense of that inexpressible Comfort with which an inward Testimony of a Tenor of Christian Sincerity refreshes the Reprehender's Mind, will not let him, in all Love, dismiss his Friend, before he has so far wrought his Bro­ther, whom he would have be as happy as himself, up into such a reflectful Posture of Soul, as to give Audience to the Majestick Voice of Conscience, against the Sin for which he reproves him: Which is such a terrible Prediction of the intolerable Anguish of a wounded Spirit, and an eternally irrecon­cilable Conscience, that it cann't but con­vince [Page 142]the offending Brother that there is no Peace to the Wicked, while they continue im­penitently such; and that true, solid and permanent Peace is only the Harvest of Chri­stian Integrity. I would not have any one think that I am of Opinion, That no Man can reprove to the purpose but he who is conscious of unsinning Obedience. No, alas! for after that rate no Man could be capable of being a Benefactor by Reproof, for in many things we offend all, even the best of us. Heavenly Perfection is as inconsistent with the Life of Man, in this frail State, as Im­perfection is with the Converse of blessed Spirits above. Whilst the Devil slides along the Earth he will be flinging some Dust into the Eyes of the vigilantest Christian. Nei­ther Imperfections nor Sins, if the Offender shew his sincere Repentance by a Tenor of good Life, render a Man unfit to reprove his Friend. On the contrary, this common Sense of the lability of Mankind, proves the Ne­cessity of Mutual Reproof among Friends, and is a fit Motive for every Friend to re­prove his Friend, that when he offends, him­self he may merit his Neighbour's Reproof, and the Benefit of such wholsom Awe upon his Soul. But however it ought to be con­sider'd, that there is a great Distance be­tween Blemishes and transient Apostasies, which shew the best Christian here to be a [Page 143]Man and a Mortal, and that wretched Care­lesness and habitual Irregularity of Life, which proclaims many who have been bap­tiz'd, and do throng our Churches, to be mere, and consequently hypocritical, Pro­fessors of the Christian Religion. We ge­nerally charge those who live strictest, tho' they sin the least, with Hypocrisie, for sin­ning at all; and it must be confess'd that ev'ry Sin is more or less an Act of Hypo­crisie, or at least appears such to the Eyes of the World, from which Hearts are lock'd up: But then, certainly those lewd and vi­tious Livers, whose whole Lives are, as it were, but one continu'd Chain of Sin, have the most reason to count themselves Hypo­crites, since by sinning most they give others the strongest Temptations to brand them for Hypocrites; so that the prophane Per­son who tramples upon the Promise he made at Baptism, in the Highways and Turnings of the Streets, till he renounces his Baptis­mal Vow, must be confess'd to be the most monstrous Hypocrite, tho' he is the most ready to call others so, who (tho' they re­ally may be so inwardly) ought to be clearest of the Imputation, in our Judgments, be­cause the seldomness of their Offences gives us less occasion to mistrust that they are such. They that offend seldom, do not like noto­rious Sinners, come with prodigious Beams [Page 144]in their own Eyes, to spy and pluck out the Motes of others. Alas! who will ever (tho' upon other Motives he may) desist from a Sin which is of an inferior Nature to ev'ry one of that vast multitude of Sins which are inveterate in such a Reprehender, for the sake of his Reproof? The Serenity and Con­sistency of a vigilant Person's Manners (tho' they be not perfect and unblameable in the Sight of the spotless omniscient Being, and when they're compar'd with the exact Pre­scripts of the Divine Law, yet since they are perfect, consider'd as the Manners of a Human Creature, in the state of Trial and Probation, where many Spiritual Enemies and Temptations are to be encountred with) will make way and raise Veneration for his Reproof. But that extraordinary Shame and vexatious Contradiction of Conscience and Countenance, which tormentingly haunts profligate Livers, will not permit them (supposing they should have so much Sense as to pity Sin in their Friends, because they have the Opportunity of seeing the Ugliness and Turpitude of Sin with more Advantage in others than in themselves) I say, supposing this, unless they have got such a Mastery over Shame, as to be through­ly prepar'd Candidates of Devilship, it will not suffer them to reprove with that Freedom, Courage and Authority, which is the Grace [Page 145]of Reproof. A good Man's Infirmities may allow him some time to do others good; but scandalous Livers are too wretchedly in the Mire, and labour under too heavy a Load of Sin themselves, to have Heart, Time or Strength enough to relieve others. Whence you see how an erroneous Life deprives us of the possibility of doing any good this Way. 'Tis impossible for those who are remiss in other Duties, to discharge this. Such a close Friendship of Society do all the Duties of our lovely Religion hold together: So ne­cessary is universal Righteousness. He that does one Duty and neglects others, in vain Hopes to do any Duty perfectly, and so as to have it constru'd Duty by God Almighty. I therefore advise such not to unhallow this excellent Branch of Charity with their im­pious Mouths, till they have cleans'd them­selves from their Aethiopian Filthiness, till they are as pure in the Eyes of the candid as they would seem to be in their own Eyes, tho' their Consciences testifie against them at the same time, when they desecrate, ridicule and backbite this admirable Duty of Reproof, under a Pretence of Reproving by their un­couth Exprobrations.

Moreover, thirdly, Peace is a necessary Qualisication in a Friendly Reprover, if we understand by Peace a particular Satisfaction proceeding from a Consciousness of a good [Page 146]Intention, peculiarly when we reprove: For 'tis; a particular kind Intention for the Per­son whom we reprove, which peculiarizes this Reproof; for unless you reprove as a Friend, your Reproof is not friendly, tho' he whom you reprove has approv'd himself a Friend to you: For, as we have shewn in the second Section concerning the Spiritual Love of the Creatures, that in order to constitute a Reproof friendly in his Eyes, whom you reprove, 'tis necessary that you should first have receiv'd some visible Token of Friend­ship from him; and moreover that you should have also given him some visible Signet of your Friendship; so also 'tis necessary to constitute your Reproof friendly in the Sight of God, that you be incited to reprove him by a peculiar Love for him, which is visible only to God.

Lastly, To have that entire Peace which is requisite to make you a thorough Friendly Reprover, you must not fail to have a firm Assurance that you reprove him for a just Cause and upon just Grounds, such as your seeing him commit a Fault, and that it is re­ally a Fault which you reprove, a commission or omission of something that is forbid or enjoyn'd either explicitly or implicitly in the Holy Scriptures. Adhering to this Rule is the Top-Branch of Christian Prudence in administring Reproof. S. Paul has told [Page 147]us, That all Scriptures, inspir'd by God, was given us, among other excellent Uses, for Reproof. 'Tis by them that we infallibly know, without the Pains of long natural Demon­stration, what are the fix'd and certain Sub­jects of Reproof and Commendation; and it is an indiscreet, I might say an impious, thing, to draw Matter of Reproof out of our own Humors: For, what is this but to dictate a new Bible, and to suppose the Di­vine Inspir'd Writings imperfect? Ev'ry one is guilty of detracting from the Bible, who offers to make Actions Subjects of Reproof, which the Divine Oracles have not declar'd to be so. A wise Christian, who looks on the Christian Canon of Reproof to be per­fect, need not fear making foul Blunders, or incurring the Censure of captiousness and impertinence, which are the two unlucky Apes of Reproof, except it be from some Men, who can charge God foolishly, as tho' he would call Good Evil and Evil Good. It may therefore be convenient to mention the Text which forbids the Act which he com­mitted, or enjoyns the Duty which he omit­ted, and to desire him to declare his Judg­ment about it, before you apply your Re­proof, that so his Conscience may speak before you, and your treading so surely may make your Reproof take the deeper Root in his Mind.

It must be confess'd, there are some inde­cent Singularities which are offensive in Com­pany, and do discredit them in whom they are observ'd; tho' the Gestures or Actions consider'd simply in themselves, are not Evil in their own Nature, nor forbidden by God, but are accidentally evil, because they are offensive, as deviations from Custom in indifferent Matters, for which indeed Cu­stom is a Law: And therefore a Friend may very commendably strive to break his Friend of them, because by this means Peace is pro­moted and Offences are prevented. Never­theless, it behoves a Friend not to express Indignation, when he speaks of them, since they are not Vices, or simply unlawful in their own Nature: And in such an Attempt he should chiefly urge, that we should keep Harmony with all Men, by complying with their Humors as far as we can without Sin, and displeasing God, always dreading to ap­proach the Heart, and rashly imputing it to Affectation. Charity will sooner reckon it an Habit and an Infelicity contracted in Youth; and which for that Reason must be got rid of by degrees. But be sure you do not dehort him from it gravely, and with as much Solemnity as if it were declar'd Matter of Reproof by God; for we should always take Care to put a Distinction be­tween Actions that are necessarily and intrin­sically [Page 149]Evil, and those that are but contingently so; for if we should speak of offensive Sin­gularities with that trembling and concern as we should when we reprove for a Fault, we should seem to be as sollicitous to destroy a Habit, which is only displeasing to Men, as we are to destroy a Habit, which ought to displease Men, and does certainly displease God; which is to represent our selves, as having an equal Fear of God and Man, that is to say, as dreading Infirmity and Omnipo­tence alike. Besides, such a manner of Speak­ing about indifferent Habits would make our Reproofs for necessary Evils the less regard­ed because this would make our Reproofs too frequent and trivial; by which means they will bear a hue of dastardly Fretfulness instead of the majestick Characters of Re­proof. In short, we should take Care to admonish them against affecting them, for if they are affected they are wilful Violations of Peace, and so they are Sins: But however, affected Offences are not the Object of parti­cular Reproof, because the Root of Affecti­on is in the Heart, but the Springs of the Heart are invisible to us. Wherefore, all that we can do is solemnly to give a parti­cular Admonition against affecting them. And when we have admonish'd them against affecting them, the best Art we can use to break them of them, whether they be af­fected [Page 150]or not, will be to smile them out of such Habits: By smiling you'l hint that they are ridiculous Actions and Objects of Laugh­ter to you, as you are a risible Creature by Nature: And by strugling with your Sides at the Temptation, you will suggest, that tho' you could not help smiling, you would have help'd it if you could, for your not suffering your self to laugh will demonstrate that you are willing presently to withstand the Assault of any Temptation to such Carri­age, which savours of Disrespect to a Friend; for loud Laughter stirs up Rage, and no Man can endure to be made his Fellow Crea­ture's Baboon.

SECT V. Of LONG-SUFFERING, a fourth Qualification in a Friendly Re­prover.

LOng-Suffering is requisite to make us con­stant in Reproof, and not weary of well-doing, tho' our Friend is uneasie under Reproof. Reproof ought to be uneasie. Both the Reprover and the Reproved should be troubled at their being Occasion for Re­proof. 'Tis this Uneasiness that makes pati­ent Perseverance in Reproving our Friends [Page 151]a Virtue, and the Virtue Long-Suffering a necessary Qualification whenever we Re­prove. Without this we shall quickly be discourag'd from ever reproving our Friend. We should consider one another's Infirmities; by bearing one another's Burthens we shall fulfil the Law of Christ. Man would fain be innocent tho' he is unclean from the Womb, and therefore we must allow him to be disturb'd while his Friend is smiting him. After the Potion is settl'd, perhaps that which was Gall in the Throat will be acknowledg'd to be Hony in the Stomach: And, grant, the Worst, tho' he should be ungrateful a long while, yet your patient bearing with his Ingratitude against you, will shame him into a grateful Sense of your Long-Suffering Love. 'Tis very unaccountable to leave off Reproving because Reproof is bitter to the Palate. Many Friends have sown good In­clinations in one another, which, for all their gliding Displeasures, have shew'd their Heads above Ground at last. God is a God of Patience and Season. We should imitate him, and know when to sow a Reproof; and when we have cast it prudently into our Friend's Ear, learn to wait with Submission for the Usury of our Grain in due time. If the great God condescends to call and invite, after many gracious Invitations have been slighted, and many Fatherly Corrections [Page 152]have miss'd of Success, shall we think much to wait and condescend not to desert our Friends, even for repeated Abuses of our Re­proof? Is the Servant above his Lord?

Briefly, Reproofs are generally own'd substantial Acts and Exercises of Love upon the Death-Bed. Which consideration, me­thinks should be a powerful Motive to Con­stancy in this Duty.

SECT. VI. Of GENTLENESS, a fifth Qualification of a Friendly Reprover.

GEntleness. or Courtesie storms Hearts without Noise. Affability and hum­ble Submission to all Men, and readily clasp­ing with the lawful Desires of our Friend, and giving him the Precedency in Debates about indifferent Matters, especially in the Presence of others, arms Reproof with the most charming Endearments, ushers in with great Authority into his Closet. Wherefore be sure always to remember never to give Whisperers an Advantage of spoiling your Reproofs, or of Soiling them, by being able to tell him, when you so much as spoke disrespectfully of him, or made a Com­plaint of this or that personal Offence. Al­ways [Page 153]set a Watch over your Lips, and keep the Wicket of your Mouth. Speak evil of no Man, that is the surest way never to speak Evil of your Friend. He that suffers his Friend's Faults to be the Entertainment of the Company behind his Back, abuses his Friend, if he tells him of a Fault before his Face, tho' never so privately. We cannot either jeer, or slander, or backbite and re­prove the same Person, at least till we have repented of our Misdemeanours behind the Curtain.

Take Care farther, Friendly Reprover, not to let your Freedom with your Friend in private be blur'd by a downish Carriage to him in Publick. Whoever contracts friendly Intercourse with you, honour him at all times according to his Character and Dignity all one as tho he were a Stranger; and tho' some may think this Formality, yet I'm sure 'tis such a Formality as Reason prescribes, for 'tis a foolish thing to adopt those for our Friends whom we don't really esteem, and very absurd (nay I cann't conceive it possi­ble) to forbear expressing Honour outward­ly to those whom we inwardly revere, since we are naturally willing that our Friends should believe and know we have a sincere Respect for them. But, indeed, I don't wonder that those partial Friends who are only Partners in Vice, and employ their [Page 154]Tongues against the Absent, should condemn outward Expressions of Respect among Friends, since they have at best but a brutal Love for one another, and are uncapable of exchanging a rational Esteem. 'Tis Flattery in them, and therefore deservedly odious, since they're conscious they don't deserve it from one another. But I am giving Dire­ctions to true Friends, who are the Tutors and Patrons of each other's Souls, who dis­course of those Subjects which belong to them, and scorn to turn Society into an Hell, and Salamander-like to delight to live in the Fire of Strife and Contention. If they talk of others 'tis to contrive to do 'em some good, and to make one another useful Servants to the Publick. In short, Flattery, Dissimula­tion and toyish Complements may be banish'd and yet regular Civility may be preserv'd. Friendship and Sincerity, and a useful Fami­liarity may be maintain'd without odd Names, and affected Bluntness, which befriends no­thing but a licentious irregular Sociableness. To conclude this Section, Courtesie to our Friend will vindicate our Reproof from the Censure of Disrespect; and I hope no­thing is to be accounted inconsiderable and fit to be rejected, which may gain a free access for your Reproof through your Friend's Ear, to his Heart and Affections, which is that Familiarity which [Page 155]regulates the noblest sort of Familiari­ty.

True Familiarity consists in the prudent exercise of a free and generous Intercouse of Hearts among Friends: When Friends have such a generous Confidence in one another, after a long Experience, and many alternate Tryals of each other's Fidelity and Circum­spection, as to be able, without Dalliance and Reluctance, to uncloset their Hearts up­on any occasion: When they can confess their Sins humbly together, without Fear of being threatned to the World for their Sim­plicity: When they can mutually enume­rate the peculiar Instances of God's graci­ous Providence and Care of them, without the least Dread of being posted up for Vain­glorious Pretenders: When they are so wise and happy as to have no Grief, no Joy which they durst not communicate: Friends may be truly said to be true Friends and Fa­miliars. These are the Friends who may ra­tionally rejoyce in one another: For such Friends, when the greedy Grave snatche; them away, Grace as well as Nature wrests Tears from us: What Tongue can express that mighty Satisfaction which their being possess'd of an Intimate who is so trusty and discreet, must need afford? An Intimate, to whom I can venture to reveal all that I know of my self: To whom I can reveal those [Page 156]Deviations of my Mind, which, for ought I know, none but my God and my Jesus, my Tutelar Angel and my affectionate Pastor know besides my self: Who will bespeak my Tears for his Failings, and my Thanks for the Mercies which he has receiv'd from the Hands of our common Father in Heaven, who has an Ear always open to the pure and sincere: An Intimate who will use his daily Endeavour to make my Soul more rich and beauteous: Who will instil into me a Spirit of Thankfulness by his seasonable and decent Gratulations, and strive to make the Incense of my grateful Heart more acceptable to the great Patron of Angels and Men, by his De­votion and Gratitude to God on my behalf: Whilst millions of Souls, in all probability are made vain in their Imaginations by the Flatteries of their false Friends: Who will contribute towards my obtaining a Spirit of Humility, Penitence and Prostration of Spi­rit, by his Confession of his own Sins and his Reproofs of mine: A Spirit of Charity, by his fervent Intercessions: A Spirit of Vi­gilance, by his Admonitions: A Spirit of uncommon Zeal, by his powerful Exhorta­tions: A Spirit of Prudence by his Coun­sel; a comprehensiveness of Understanding and a Volubility in the holy Dialect, by com­municating whatever useful Maxim he has got by Books, Conversation, Sermons or [Page 157]Experience: This is the Familiarity which enlarges the Understanding, rectifies the Will and sets us forward on our Journey to Happiness. Is not this therefore the noblest Familiarity and most becoming wise Men? According to this Account of Familiarity, Friends may be familiar without using the Language of the Plough, an affected Blunt­ness: The reason why I insist so much on this is, because I have observ'd 'tis an Art whereby the Devil, tho' few observe it, has promoted Unprofitableness and idle Jesting in Conversation. There may be a constant Use of such Expressions as denote Respect, without any Danger of Distance: This is convenient, that Friends, when they are together, may have that continual Sense of the Dignity of Human Nature, which is very necessary to procure us the true Advan­tages of Friendship: For 'tis this that is the Primary Cause of our Capableness of re­ceiving mutual Benefit by Reproof.

SECT. VII. Of GOODNESS, the sixth Quali­fication for a Fri [...]ndly Reprover.

GOodness or Benignity and Usefulness in all Respects, as Opportunity favours, demonstrates a Man a Friend indeed. Men judge of the Sincerity of their Friends by universal, not single Kindness, especially if it be a Kindness which peculiarly Eyes the Soul. Such is the Frailty, so great is the Sottishness of lapsed Man! O how strange­ly are we immers'd in Sense! But I will not dwell upon this melancholy Thought. Shew your self an entire Friend to your Friend: Trust him with great Secrets, even the Se­crets of your Soul, as Pledges of your Se­crecy, and of not taking Notice of his Faults to any Body else: Instruct him where­in he is ignorant, counsel him wherein he doubts, relieve him in Distress, readily re­ceive and faithfully retain his Secrets, have an open Ear to any re [...]sonable Request, comfort him in Affliction, as on the Bed of Sickness and in the Day of Adversity, when his Spirits are sad and low; vindicate his Innocence when he is defam'd; palliate his Faults when you hear him complain'd of; [Page 159]forgive his particular Breaches of Trust in your self; have useful Conferences fre­quently with him; praise his good Actions behind his Back; congratulate any sort of Prosperity and his Virtues before his Face; exhort him to Perseverance in the ways of Piety, and in all laudable Designs and En­deavours; lastly, admonish him against Of­fences to come. Admonition is a great Act of Charity, and ev'ry Reproof should be back'd with it: It is a Shield against all Sins whether external or internal, and assists all the Faculties of the Soul. Wherefore, when­ever you reprove your Friend for an actual, visible Fault, don't fail to for warn him against it for the future; as also against those secret Maladies of the Soul, bad Suggestions and Habits of the Heart, of which the visible Sin seems mostly to bear a hue; for no human Eye can pierce the Heart, and therefore they are Subjects only of a general and indeter­minate Reproof; but, however, they are the Subjects of particular Admonition. The being an Example of so many excellent and various Offices of judicious Friendship cann't but captivate his Esteem, and open his Eyes to see that your Reproof is a Ray stream­ing from a Divine Principle of heavenly Love.

But since Goodness is so lovely, certainly Gratitude for Goodness is comely and sitting; and therefore I cann't but think it a Piece of Prudence, and very conducive to the Success of the Reproof at the very instant of your giving it, to mention to him such or such a great [...]ndness which he did for you, and to tell him that, that would have been Fuel of Horror to you one Day, if you had neg­lected to have reprov'd him for the present Fault, and that you expect him by way of Return to lay the Obligation of a Friendly Reproof upon you.

Lastly, To all your other Acts of Benefi­cence add one more; frequent, earnest, par­ticular and private Intercession to God for his Soul. This is the greatest of them all. Thus we may be charitable to all Men, but we can­not allow ev'ry Name a Minute in our Re­tirement: Nevertheless, no Man would grudge it, or many Minutes upon an extra­ordinary occasion, upon a Relative or Friend whom he loves as his own Soul. Pray there­fore for him, That he may prosper even as his Soul prospers; That his Love may abound more and more in Knowledge, and in all Judgment; That he may approve of Reproof and Experience, and delight in all things that are excellent; That he may be sincere, and without Offence at the Day of Christ, [Page 161]being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the Glory and Praise of God. Gods Arm is not short­ned, that he should not save, though ours is.

SECT. VIII. Of FAITH, a s [...]venth Qualification in a Friendly Reprover.

FAITH is so essential to constitute any Action Good and Christian, that without it it is impossible to please God. Ev'ry Attempt must be dedicated to him in the Name of our Lord Lord Jesus Christ, whose Blood shed upon the Cross was the sole living Fountain of Pardon and Reconcilia­tion. We must remember that 'tis princi­pally for the sake of this one Mediator that any of our Services are accepted by God. We were put by the Fall of Adam into such a state of Distance from God, who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, that had he not so lov'd the World as to send his Son to be a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World, and imparted of his Spirit liberally upon the Apostles, after our Savi­our's Ascension, for the sake of his inestima­ble Sacrifice and Victory over Death, and [Page 162]imparted ever since more or less of the same Spirit to all his Followers, none of us could have been in a Capacity of presenting any Oblation without Presumption, and without rather exchanging his Anger and Indignati­on than procuring his Favour; for the Un­clean can offer no Clean Sacrifices 'till they are cleans'd from their Filthinesses, and the Return of the Spirit of God, without whose Aid and Presence 'tis impossible for us to pu­rifie our selves from our original Turpitude. And since the Spirit comes upon his account, we must remember in ev'ry Undertaking that 'tis principally for his sake that any of our Services are accepted; and when we have offer'd it to God in the Name and Mediation of so great a Person as the first-begotton Son of God must needs be, we ought in Reve­rence to his Merits, notwithstanding our own unworthiness to countenance a chearful and steady Confidence in God, as to the E­vent and Fruitfulness of Reproof.

If we verily believe that God is, and is a Rewarder of them that seek him in the humble Obedience of his Commands, we cann't but rest s [...]tisfied in his Arms, and se­cure of a Reward to our selves of whatever Consequence the Reproof be to our Friend. God sees all the hidden Determinations of the Will, and notes down ev'ry loving Ex­periment in his Book; so that we need not [Page 163]suspect that we shall fail of a Reward for the discharge of our Duty. And then as to our Neighbour, tho' he's peevish and apt to be Sensless of his Spiritual Interest, for Sin is a very dangerous Sorceress, and our awk­ward Reproofs (for such all, even the best Reproofs of sinful Creatures are, and rather irritate than heal of themselves) yet Faith fixes our Hope on God, and excites us hum­bly to bespeak God's Grace, to give us Pru­dence to reprove in such a Manner as becomes such Creatures as we are, to reprove and to prosper our Friend's Charity to the Health of our Friend's Soul, after we have us'd our best Endeavours. This Method, if any, is likely to succeed. And here it may not be amiss to caution you against Sacrificing to your own Net, and burning Incence to your own Diag, when your Reproof has took effect. 'Twas by his Breathing on your Project that you so happily caught a Soul: Give his Blessing therefore the Glory, lest in just Indignation he deny it another Time.

And indeed one great Reason why general Reproofs have sometimes pierc'd some Men so deeply, even when particular ones have fail'd, is to teach us to look up to God who superintends all our Actions and Hearts, as the great Author of all Success; and for that Reason always to remember, That his Glory should principally be Ey'd, since the [Page 164]Conversions of all that repent, as well as the Obstinacy and Presumption of the Ob­durate will terminate into his Glory in that great Day, when the King of Glory with a mighty Power shall open the Gates both of Heaven and Hell, and all human Souls, ac­cording to their different Demeanour here, shall be admitted into their everlasting state of consummate Bliss or Misery. This Con­sideration was entertain'd by S. Augustin, when he had unexpectly been an Instrument of Conversion to Alipius, who, it seems, laid out too much time on the Races and other Diver­sions of the Circus, tho he had a long Time, in vain, laid in wait for a seasonable Appli­cation of a particular and design'd Reproof. Those of us, saith that admirable Father, who liv'd friendly together, us'd to bemoan the Riots that are rife upon such occasions, but espe­cially Alipius and Nebridius, who would speak their Minds the most freely and familiarly wi [...]h me: Alipius was born in the same Town as I was, some Years after me. When I first taught in my native Town and at Carthage, he had study'd with me, and had a great Kindness for me, because he took me for a good and a learn'd Man: He was one of a great Genius and emi­nent Virtue, so great indeed that it could not lie hid in his first Years: But the corrupt Morals of your Citizens grew so raging and prevalent, by reason of those vain and trifling Spectacles [Page 165]which daily encourag'd Idleness in that Place, that they swept him away like a fierce Whirl pool, and plung'd him into a fierce Love with the Pa­stime of the Circus. And tho', at this Time, I was a publick Professor of Rhethorick, he was not then one of my Auditors, upon the account of a private Grudge between me and his Father: Nevertheless, I was very much concern'd to see such a great Hope in Danger of being shipwrack­ed; nay, indeed my Hope was almost expir'd, for his Levity and Madness at that Time ap­pear'd Mortal and Incurable: Besides, I had no fair Season or Pretence to Admonish or Re­prove him; for I could not reprove him as a Master; and as for Friendship, I thought that could gain [...]o standing in his Mind, being, I thought, his Father's Enmity had alienated his Mind from me. But thou, O Lord, didst teach him to slight and forget it, for he came and heard me at last, and very respectfully attended to, and consider'd upon my Lectures: In one of them I occasionlly brush'd upon the Folly and Abuse of Publick Shews; which sunk so deep into the Youth that he was enrag'd with himself for his past Resort to them, and lov'd me more ardently than his Father could possibly hate me; that thy Words, O God of Love and Wonders might be verified; who hast said, Reprove a Wise Man and he will love thee. But indeed I had not reprov'd him: But thou canst use, in thy own good Time both the plotting and the ignorant to [Page 166]the Service of thy Designs: These Ways sur­pass our Thoughts; however thy Order and Me­thod is just, comly and best; and we thy poor Creatures hence do learn to blush at the Insignifi­cancy of our Works, and do revere the Beauty and Depth of thy Counsel. Thou madest my Tongue sharper than a Sword, and his stupid Mind sensible by thy Causticks, and hotter than burning Coals till thou hadst heal'd him: So happy is the Son whom the Lord chasteneth. See S. Austin, l. 6. c. 7. of his Book of Confessions.

I leave the Reader to apply this Instance to his own Mind.

SECT. IX. Of MEEKNESS, the eighth Quali­fication of a Friendly Reprover.

THE Virtue Meekness consists, either in not being soon Angry, not being easily Provok'd, or Angry without a just Provocation, and when we should not be Angry; or, secondly, when we are Angry on a just occasion, in bounding that Anger, which S. Paul calls being Angry without Sin, for Anger is a Natural Passion: Meekness is not the Extinction of Anger, but our regu­lar Use of it. Now Meekness, in both Sen­ses, is a necessary Qualification for a Friendly [Page 167]Reprover: For, first, habitual Meekness, or seldom being angry, and never exerting it without just Provocation, is as great in effect as trivial and groundless Anger is in Shew. Who can withstand Meekness? When a meek Man, who is not known to be often or hastily angry, complains, a Friend will conclude that one of the Divine Tables is broken, for it must be something that is not only offensive to his Disposition but is really ill in its own Nature, that can provoke a Moses to exert Anger. A mean occasion will not raise such a one's Passion. Bur, more­over, Meekness is necessary too, because it fits us to bear Reproof patiently and thank­fully, and it must be confess'd that such a Temper is necessary for a Reprover, that he may be one of an exemplary tameness when he is reprovd: For how can he expect that Gratitude from others, which, when he is reprov'd, he will not express himself? No one will ever think such an one a sincere Re­prover. In opposition therefore to such gross Hypocrisie, do you, when you reprove, chide your Friend for not reproving you for a Fault which you have trac'd in your self by Reflection, and for which he did not reprove you, tho he could not but observe it in you; that is to say, if ever the Case stands so in­deed, Then you may say to him thus, or to this purpose, If Impenitence for this [Page 168]Fault would have damn'd me, I should have been never a whit help'd by you to prevent the Cause of such eternal Misery. Is not this very unkind?

And as habitual Meekness is a necessary Qualification for a Friendly Reprover, so, secondly, actual Meekness is a necessary In­gradient of a dextrous Reproof. Actual Meekness consists in moderating our Anger. S. Paul charges us particularly, to Reprove in the Spirit of Meekness, and afterwards sub­joyns this excellent Reason for it, considering thy self, lest thou also be tempted; to which give me leave to add, and when tempted fall: For, as 'tis no strange or unusual thing for us to be tempted in this state; so neither is it a surprizing Business for a Man to be over­come by Temptations. When we reprove a Friend, therefore, we should take Care to express our Grief and Anger (for Resent­ment has been shew'd to become a Reprover) without Pride and Fiercenses. It must be the Anger of a Friend, not the Anger of a Panther. Be not high-minded but fear. Let him that stands, take heed lest he fall, are ex­cellent Sentences, and should always be writ upon our Minds, when we are going to re­prove, that we may do our Duty without the Commission of a Sin. 'Tis a dreadful Presumption to tell a Person of a Fault only to tease and exasperate him: But I am not [Page 169]addressing to such Wretches. No, no, there are too many, who, tho' they reprove with a benign intention, fly from a decent hatred of the Sin, and Sorrow, and Trouble for the Offence of their Friend, into an extra­vagant Anger with the Person who com­mitted it. Hear me, my beloved Friends, Is this to reprove as Brethren? Rage is no fit Companion for Reproof: This Wrath of Man will not work the Righteousness of God in our Friend: The best Reprovers are not spotless as God. Men should, when they reprove, consider that they are Men, not Brutes and destitute of a thinking Capa­city; and that they have to do with Men, not Angels, who are out of the Shot of Temptations. Friends should not, when they reprove, speak like Masters and Magi­strates, but like Friends and Equals. Alas! What mean poor Mortals by a magisterial Carriage in reproving? Surely they forget that we all tread upon slippery Places, and wrestle with Principalities and Powers, of­ten stumble and are often worsted: That tho' some Humble oftner than others, yet all stumble often enough to be lowly, and when they 're trip'd up by a Temptation they stand in need of a helping Hand. Surely they forget that before Baptism they were polluted Lumps of Clay, and have frequently since contracted Guilt enough to [Page 170]have been thrown long ago into the Kennel of Devils for ever, if infinite Justice had dealt rigorously with them; and that 'tis by the Grace of Jesus they are what they are, capable of Heaven by true Repentance, and obnoxious to Hell, notwithstanding all Re­pentance, without the Application of his Merits. For God's sake, let us remember, and for Christ's sake, who does not drag but draw our Souls by his Spirit gently and com­passionately, that when we reprove a Friend, Sinner speaks to Sinner, lest Haughtiness and Wrath anathematize our over-pompous Cha­rity in the Sight of God, with whom a meek and quiet Spirit is of great Price. When Friends carry themselves like Furies to their Friends, the Sense of the Sin (to quicken which is the peculiar Drift of Friend­ly Reproof) is drown'd in that Amazement and Vexation which boisterous Passion is wont to raise: 'Tis to be Precedents of Sin, and perhaps a greater Sin than the present Sub­ject of our Reproof, even whilst we bring an Action against it. But God will not suf­fer the Meek to reprove so awkwardly, for them that are meek God will guide in Judgment. A Mind that is not ruffl'd with disorderly Passions will not suffer a Man to reprove his Friend, but when his Friend is sedate and fit to receive it with Profit. The Meek Man reproves with a degree of Anger propor­tion'd [Page 171]to the degree of the Nature of the Crime, and not only weighs it's Aggrava­tions, but also considers its Alleviations, and to be sure he always takes Care never to be hurried into that degree of Anger which does not comport with a due Respect for Human Nature, which becomes him as a Fellow-partaker of it; and because in this State the Image of God, which was originally impress'd on all Men, cannot be perfectly obliterated. A meek Man never reproves, only to sluce a private Humor, or unseasona­bly; but he patiently watches for a conve­nient Opportunity to promote a Soul: He hugs and makes much of all Seasons to do good in: He is not rash and temerarious; he does not censure, envy, repine or fret, nor meddle where his Fingers have no right to feel: He constantly uses his Tongue as an Instrument of Good and a Messenger of God: He always avoids hurtful Blabbing and Fomenting Strife and Folly by needlessly multiplying Words: He imitates the Di­vine Spirit, the Arch-reprover of Mankind, by reproving in a private Place, and in a soft Voice, mingling with his Resentment a powerful and commanding Tenderness: His Tears are not as the Tears of the revengeful, Resemblances of the Sparks of Hell-fire, but they are the overflowing Emanations of a silently active Love; and, if I may be al­low'd [Page 172]so to speak, effluvia's of the Bowels of the long-suffering God, and therefore they cann't but be successful Spels for good to the reprov'd, unless he has a Heart of Ada­mant, a Conscience all incrusted over with numerous Sins, that have settled themselves into invincible Habits, and a Mind entomb'd in Sense.

SECT. X. Of TEMPERANCE, the ninth and last Qualification in a Friendly Reprover.

THAT Temperance is a necessary Qua­lification in a Reprover, is so obnoxi­ous that I need not spend Time to prove it, since no body will listen to the Reproof of a debauch'd, flagitious and intemperate Fellow. For his Reproof will never be taken for a serious Reproof, who is never serious him­self but when his Drunkenness tyes his Tongue, and the Diseases consequent upon his immoderate Use of sensual Pleasures confine him to his Bed. This cann't properly be call'd a voluntary Gravity, and 'tis a very dangerous Error to think that such a Repen­tance will suffice to curry us to Heaven Be­sides, I have premis'd that a preconceiv'd [Page 173]Belief of the Reprover's good Intention, Friendship and Secrecy (for retentiveness of Secrets is one peculiar Office of Friendship) is one great Recommendation of Reproof. But who is there that cann't more than con­jecture that a sottish Fellow, who vomits out his Breast before Enemies as well as Friends, can be no secure Cabinet to lay up Secrets in?

I have now spoke as much as I thought would be convenient concerning those nine Qualifications which constitute a Friendly Reprover, viz. Love, Joy, Peace, Long-Suf­fering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance, and have no more to say of them than with the great Apostle that men­tion'd them in this Order, Against such there is no Law. A Reproof thus mannag'd cann't justly be excepted against. Such a Reproof is a true Friendly Reproof, if any Reproof can deserve the Name of Friendly. Is a Friend qualified with these Virtues? He need not fear but he will reprove his Friend with Success and little Offence. And if his kind Aim should meet with a Frustration, 'tis the reprov'd Person's Fault, not the Reprover's.

As for those, who tho' they are utterly, or for the most part destitute of 'em, will be reproving, they had as good lecture to the Winds. Indeed thorough-pac'd Christi­ans, whose extraordinary Prudence and emi­nent [Page 174]Advances in Piety enable 'em to turn Calumnies and Curses into Blessings, may be the better for such sinister Reproofs and Re­provers, but they may thank themselves, not their Reprovers for it. Ordinarily speak­ing, Reproof is more or less Successful, ac­cording as those who offer it do administer it, and are more or less spiritually pre­par'd.

After so much has been said concerning the Qualifications of a Friendly Reprover, the Reader may admire that I have not spoke (except it be occasionally) concerning Pru­dence, which is generally accounted, as in reality it is, one of the principal Ornaments of a Friendly Reprover: To abate the Rea­der's Surprize for this Oversight, I desire him to consider, 1. That to speak largely of Pru­dence in general would take up too much compass in this little Tract, and, besides, 'twill be more conveniently done in a parti­cular Discourse about Counsel. And then, 2. That Prudence consider'd abstractly, as the Qualification of a Friendly Reprover, 'tis the natural Result or Off-spring of all those Qualifications which I have already in­sisted on: They are all of them, as it were, means tending to this End: For first, do's not Religious Prudence consist in the Choice of some Divine End and Undertaking, and [Page 175]in prosecuting any Undertaking of that Na­ture knowingly, upon good Principles, by wise Rules, with Wariness, Vigour and Constancy? Now (to look back a little while) Does not Spiritual Love make the Re­stitution and Renovation of the Divine Image in our Brother, the End of our Reproof, and a Desire of being in God's Favour, and being more and more assimilated to the Source of Charity and Blessedness, the Principle of our Reproof? Do's not Spiritual Joy clear it from the Ignominy of being taken for Counterfeit and Spurious? Do's not Peace give the Reprover a becoming Majesty, and propose a sure Canon to walk by, as to the Matter of our Reproof? Do's not Faith make us humble, full of pious Assurance and Satisfaction? Does not Meekness and Tem­perance always preserve our Minds on their Guard, and so make them capable of form­ing sit Stratagems, and of sufficient Strength to encounter with our Friend's Infirmities? Do not these Virtues shew the fittest Seasons and Methods of handling a Friend after a late Lapse? Lastly, Do not Gentleness, Goodness and Long-Suffering enable us to be patient and unwearied in this sort of Well-doing? For who can be so foolish as to suffer all his Kindness in other Respects, to putrifie and be lost, only for want of Repeating one Part of the Beneficence? especially with a [Page 176]very little Consideration, he may sufficiently satisfie himself that this will mightily enhanse the Value and Dignity of all his other Assi­stances. But, secondly, the Consideration of the Nature of Friendly Reproof has fur­nish'd us with many useful Rules for the dextrous Application of Friendly Reproof; now a dextrous Reprover is a prudent Re­prover, and I do not question that if those Rules (which by way of Consequence have been interspers'd in this Chapter be consci­entiously observ'd) but the meanest Christian may have Prudence enough to reprove his Friend. But the I speak thus, I am very sensible that there have been many Rules given besides these; nay, indeed, some which run full but against them: But 'twas for want of distinguishing between those Places in which the Scriptures speak of Ad­monition, or Casual, or Episcopal, or other sorts of Reproof (which must be known by tracing the Connection that the Places usually cited have with the Context) and others that peculiarly respect Friendly Reproof. Wherefore, since the careful Use of this Di­stinction will serve for a general Answer to all that oppose me herein, I shall not swell the Chapter with a particular insistence on ev'ry contrary Direction: For the same Reason I do not think it necessary to beg the World Pardon for not Transcribing all those [Page 177]Texts which Concordances and Systems have in considerately pil'd together. Thirdly, I desire it may be consider'd that these are the Qualifications which S. Paul has particularly assign'd. And I hope we need not doubt but that God will bless those Means which he him­self has instituted: Can we have a better Guide than the Blessed Spirit? Prudence as well as Courage are his Gifts: Those that bring forth the Fruits of the Spirit are under his peculiar Conduct and Tuition, and are the Objects of his extraordinary Bounty (I mean a greater Measure of his ordinary Gifts) and therefore have no reason to dread a Want of true and real Prudence; for the Nature of true prudence cannot be enquir'd after to any purpose among the Crowd, who make ev'ry Sense a Pythagoras, and swear an implicit Faith to them, but in God's Word and our Closets, where the Divine Spirit confers with pure Souls. When all is done, the Race is not to the Swift, 'tis God that must make us Successful in the Administration of Re­proof as well as other Affairs; and if we follow the Methods which he has prescrib'd, we may chearfully rest on the great Disposer of all Events: He that lives well and loves much is most likely to reprove best.