The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

DIRECT. L

Study the Duty of instructing and exhorting, more than Reproof and finding fault.

I Deny not but that it is duty to tell a brother of his fault, and to reprove and that with plainness too. Math. 18. 15. Lev. 19. 17. And it is but few that do this rightly, of many that will backbite and censure. But yet I have long observed, that many Christians are enquiring, How they must manage the duty of Reproof, who never enquire how to perform the duty of Christian exhortation or instructing of the ignorant. When as this later is much more usually a duty than the former; And you are bound to exhort a multitude whom you are not bound to reprove. And exhortation to good is a duty which the hearer is usually less offended at; It doth not so much gall and exasperate his mind: It shameth ⟨p. 241⟩him not so much, and yet is the greater part of our duty to him; as the positives of Religion are before the negatives. Exhortation (rightly used) is the plain direct expression of Love, and an earnest desire of another's good: When Reproof doth savour of a mixture of Love and displeasure; and the wrath doth often cloud the love.

I Deny not but that it is duty to tell a brother of his fault, and to reprove and that with plainness too. Math. 18. 15. Lev. 19. 17. And it is but few that do this rightly, of many that will backbite and censure. But yet I have long observed, that many Christians are enquiring, How they must manage the duty of Reproof, who nenever enquire how to perform the duty of Christian exhortation or instructing of the ignorant. When as this later is much more usually a duty than the former; And you are bound to exhort a multitude whom you are not bound to reprove. And exhortation to good is a duty which the hearer is usually less offended at; It doth not so much gall and exasperate his mind: It shameth