Book I. of J E S U S C H R I S T. 33

If a Manrefufe to comply with good Advicej or to reform upon Admonitions 2nd Reproofs ; you are notj after thefe Offers of doing him Service have been made and repeated, obliged to contend with him any longer. 'Tis better to commit the v>/hole Affair to God^ and endeavour to effed: that by your Prayers^ which your Difcourfes could not do. Be- feech Him therefore, whofe infinite Wifdom knows how to bring Good out of Evil, that his Will may be done , and his Name glorified ; and that all who Serve and Worfhip him, may be led into fuch Acftions , as moft contribute to thefe Ends , and are well-pl^afing in his fight. And when you have thus difchargeci Your Part, fet your felf refolutely to bear tne greatefl: Infirmities and Faults of your Brethren without any Difturbance. And, for conf :ming this Refolution, remember, that You alfo have man} Fail- ings of your own, by wnich the Patience of other People will have its turn of being exercifed. And if you do, (as certainly you cannot but) fee this ; think how unreafonabie it is, to exped you ftould make others in all particulars, what you would have Them to be , when you cannot fo much as make 3 cur felf, what you are fenfible you ought to be. And, indeed, nothing is more common,than to exprefs ex- ceeding Zeal in amending our Neighbours.and migh- ty Indignation againfl: Ttcir Vices 0^ Imperfedions, while at the fame time wt r -^gled the beginning at Home, and either quite overlook, or Icem hidily contented with our own.
We take a pleafure in beiiig fevei-e upon others, but cannot endure to hear of our own Faults. We are furprized and uneafy at the Liberties they take with us, and wonder with what Confidence they can pre- tend fuch Intereft in us j and yet there is nothing fo extravagant, which ,ve do not think we have a Right toexped^ aijd refent it highly to be denied. We fet
34 ^f tlje imitation Book i.
up for Reformers, declaim at the Wickednefs of the Agej and are all for fuppreffing and punifhing it by rigorous Laws ^ and yet are unwilling that any Check or Reftraint fhculd be put upon our own Freedoms. This fcewsj how far we are from obfervingthat great Rule of Equity^ the Loving our Neighbour as our Selves 5 and meting to Others the fame meafure, which we are content fhould be meafur'd to us again.
Further yet, Suppofmg all Men to be without Faults, fome Excellencies and Virtues muft belofttoo^ What would become of Patience, what of Forgiving and Forbearing one another for Chrift's fake , if there were no Provocations to try our Temper? And fuch there could not be, if every Man were perfed, and did his Duty. But, as the prefent Condition of the World is ordered , God hath furnifhed us with con- ftant Occafions of bearing one another's Burthens. For there is no Man lives without his Failings ; no Man that is fo happy , as never to give Offence ; no xVIan without his Load of Trouble ; no Man fo fufficient , as never to need Affiilance • none fo wife, but the Advice of others may, at fome time or other, be ufeful and necellary for him : And there- fore we fliouid think our felves under the ftrongeft Engagements to comfort and relieve, and inftrud:, and admoniih, and bear with one another. Befides, we fliail do well to refledl, that Afflictions and unea- fie Accidents are the clearelt Ladication of a Man's Goodnefs, and the Degrees of his LTiprovement. For we miftake extreamly, in imagining, that any thing which happens to us from without, is the real Caufe of our doing well or ill ,• Adverilty does not make Virtue or Vice, but exert and draw them into Pra- d:icej it does not change the Mm from what he wasj but only diicover what he really is.
CHAP,