ii. And, to these, TWO THINGS ARE NECESSARILY PREVIOUS AND ANTECEDENT:

1. Instruction and Conviction.

We ought to bring them to see their fault, before we rebuke them for it; otherwise, while we chide and do not inform them, it will rather seem a proud design of quarrelling with them, than a conscientious design of bettering them. And therefore we find how artificially Nathan insinuates into David the heinousness and inhumanity of his sin, and works in him a hatred and detestation of that person who was so cruel and devoid of compassion, before he comes to deal downright with him, Thou art the man. And could we but skilfully convince our brother, by thus representing the odiousness of such and such sins, to which we know he is addicted, possibly we might spare ourselves in that, which is the most ungrateful and displeasing part of this work, I mean personal reflection; and leave it to his own conscience to reprove himself, and to apply it home, with, Thou art the man.

And,

2. It is necessary that we watch over our brother, not so as to be insidious spies upon him; officiously to pry into his actions, and busily to concern ourselves in all he doth.

This pragmatical temper is justly hateful: and those, who thus arrogate to themselves to be public censors, and to inspect the lives and manners of others, making it their whole employment to observe what others say or do, that they may have matter either to reprove or reproach them, are a company of intolerable busy-bodies.

But, yet,

(1) We ought so to watch over our brother as to give him timely caution, if we see him in any danger through temptation or passion; and to admonish him to stand upon his guard, to recollect himself and beware he be not surprized or injured by such an approaching sin.

And

(2) If we have observed any miscarriages in him, we are to watch the best seasons and all the fittest circumstances, in which to remind him of it; that so our reproof may be well accepted, and become effectual.

For he, who will venture rashly to reprove without this circumspection, may do more mischief to his brother by rebuking

him, than he had done to himself by offending: exasperating and embittering his heart against piety, for the impertinencies, at least the indiscretions, of those who profess it; and provoking him to sin the more, out of mere opposition and contradiction, And I am verily persuaded, and have in some cases observed it, that very many sins owe themselves to the imprudence of those, who have taken upon themselves to be reprovers; and would never have been committed, if they had not indiscreetly gainsayed it.

Thus we see what this duty of reproving is, and what is necessarily required thereunto.

II. But, indeed, which is the Second thing, it is not so hard a matter to know what it is, as it is DIFFICULT conscientiously and faithfully to practise it.

How few are there in the world, I will not say skilful enough to do it well, but zealous and conscientious enough to do it at all! Do we not every day see God fearfully dishonoured, observe his name blasphemed, his laws violated, his worship denied? do you not daily see multitudes of wretched creatures, whose crimes not only defy and outrage God, but stab and murder their own souls? and, yet, who is there, that hath such zeal for God or such charity for his brother, as to interpose; and, by a serious and fitting reproof, vindicate the one from dishonour, or rescue the other from perdition? There are enow, who will make up a sad mouth, and whisper those things abroad, it may be out of very ill ends and designs; but where almost is the person, that will dare to maintain the honour of God to the face of those, who boldly affront him? that will dare to open their mouths before those, who will dare to open them against heaven? Certainly, we can easily produce much more reason for our reproofs, than they can for their wickedness; and it were very strange, if we should not be able to beat them off from their confidence, when we have God and our own consciences, nay and theirs also, to side with us. Yet, so it is, that we are generally apt to sneak and slink away from so troublesome a task; and to let iniquity pass uncontrouled, yea triumphant. We are well content to let others sin quietly, so that we may live quietly without troubling ourselves with so hard and difficult a service.

And that, which makes it seem so difficult, is,

A Sinful Fear; and,

A Sinful Shame, that seizeth on the spirits of men, and takes off the edge of holy courage and confidence,

which are so absolutely necessary to the performing of this duty.

i. Many are AFRAID to reprove sin, lest they should incur displeasure, weaken their secular interest, ruin their dependencies, and bring some mischief upon themselves, by exasperating the offenders against them.

But these are poor, low, carnal considerations. Where matter of duty is in question, it is very necessary for every Christian to be of an undaunted courage and resolution; not to fear the faces of men, nor to be frighted with a grim look or a proud huff. If he will seriously perform this duty, he must remember, that he is pleading for God, that he is saving a soul from hell: and therefore ought not to value their anger, nor his own damage; but to steel himself against all such mean and sordid considerations. Indeed it shews a most pitiful spirit in us, that we should be more afraid of offending them, than they are of offending God: shall they be bold to sin, and we not bold enough to tell them of it? And yet, such is the cowardice of the generality of Christians, that they dare not appear for God, or for piety and holiness, when they see them wronged by the impudence of boisterous ginners: but those pitiful, little, base carnal respects, of what they may lose or what they may suffer by it, intervene; and make them sit mopish and over-awed, like men in whose mouths are no reproofs: Psal. xxxviii. 14. whilst these wicked wretches, who have all the reason in the world to be timorous and fearful, glory in thus outbraving and baffling them.

ii. Others, again, are ASHAMED to reprove sin.

And, whereas many vile and profligate wretches glory in their shame, these, on the contrary, are ashamed of that, which would be their glory. Either they doubt they shall be thought but troublesome and hypocritical intermeddlers: or else, possibly, being conscious to themselves of many miscarriages, they suspect their reproofs will be upbraidingly retorted upon themselves; and so, by reproving the faults of others, they shall but give an occasion to have their own ripped up and exposed: and so they think it the safer way to say nothing, lest, by raking into other

men's dunghills, they should but furnish them with dirt enough to fling back in their own faces. And thus, between these two carnal principles of Sinful Fear and Sinful Shame, which are șo deeply rooted in our corrupt natures, Reproof is commonly neglected; and it is one of the hardest things in the world, to persuade men to be true to God, to their own souls, and to the souls of their brethren, in a faithful discharge of that duty, which is usually attended with such disadvantages and difficulties.

But, though it be thus difficult, yet,

III. It is a most NECESSARY duty.

The greatest good you can do in the world, is, to pluck up these briars and thorns with which it is overgrown. Consider but how insolent vice and wickedness is apt to be, where none do appear to check and control it: if it can but once silence virtue, it will quickly banish it: if it can but put it to the blush, it will quickly put it to flight. And when it hath once made us either afraid or ashamed to lay a rebuke in its way, what else can we expect, but that it should overspread the face of the whole earth; and, like a general deluge, drown all mankind, first in sin, and then in perdition? There is no other way to prevent this great and sad ruin, but for every Christian vigorously to oppose himself to the growing sins of the times and places in which he lives; and, with courage and resolution, to decry that common profaneness, which gains credit only by our silence. We know that sin is a shameful, opprobrious thing, in itself; a thing, that disheartens and dispirits the guilty: they wear a conscience about them, which is still checking and upbraiding them; and, if we could but look into their souls, we should see them covered all over with fear, horror, and confusion: they are generally self-condemned persons; and carry those monitors within their own breasts, which are continually reproving and tormenting them: and, therefore, that they may not hear the voice of their own consciences, they live abroad; and rather converse with any one without doors, than with themselves and their own troublesome and clamorous hearts. Now let it be our care to stop up all passages, by which they think to make their escape: let them find, that, in whatsoever company they go, they shall meet with those, who will no more spare them, than their own consciences; that company is no sanctuary for sins and guilt; and that they shall be as sure to be reproved, as

they dare to offend: and when they are thus every where beset; their consciences exclaiming against them within, and all whom they converse with without; they will see a necessity for it, either to forsake their vices or the world, and be forced to be virtuous for their own ease and quiet. And, certainly, till Christians do conspire together in this design, we may long enough complain of the abounding of iniquity, without any successful reformation: abound it will, and grow impudent and imperious, unless we join together to beat down its credit; to expose it to scorn and conteinpt; and to make that, which is so really shameful in itself, to be the greatest mark of infamy, shame, and reproach to any who shall dare to commit it.

But this duty of reproving, requires not only a great deal of Christian fortitude and courage; but also a great measure of Christian prudence and discretion. We must not only be resolute and confident in doing it; but we must do it, likewise, in such a fitting way, as may be most likely to work a good effect upon those, whom we are to reprove.

And, therefore,

IV. I shall give you some brief RULES and DIRECTIONS, when you ought to reprove, and how you ought to manage your reproofs, so as they may be most beneficial to your brother.

And some of them shall be Negatives, and others shall be Positives.

i. For the NEGATIVE RULES, take these that follow.

1. I ought not to reprove my brother, if I have no certain knowledge of his offence.

And therefore those, who, upon a blind rumour or groundless suspicion, hastily conclude him guilty, and so fill their mouths with reproofs, shew themselves to be very much in love with this office; and are a company of impertinent busy-bodies, who start their arrow before ever they see the mark. We must first be certainly informed, either upon our personal knowledge or upon the undoubted testimonies of credible witnesses, that he is guilty; otherwise, in going about to shew him his fault, we shall but shew our own folly and credulity: our reproofs will be but slanders; and our charity, in offering the cure, will not be half so great, as our uncharitableness, in believing the disease. 2. It is not necessary for me to reprove, where I have reason to