Directions for weak distempered Christians, to grow up to a confirmed state of grace…

2. And the weak Christian is of the same mind in the main; but with so much imperfection, that he is much more frequent in censuring others, and complaining of their wrongs, and finding fault with them, and aggravating all that is said or done against himself, when he is hardly made so sensible of as great miscarriages in himself; as having much more uncharitableness, partiality, and selfishness, than a confirmed Christian hath. There are few things which weakness of Grace doth more ordinarily appear in, than this partiality and selfishness, in judging of the faults or duties of others, and of his own. How apt are (not only Hypocrites, but) weak Christians, to aggravate all that is done against them? and to extenuate or justify all that they do against another? O what a noise they make of it, if they think that any one hath wronged them? defamed them? disparaged them? or encroached on their right? If God himself be blasphemed or abused, they can more patiently bear it, and make not so great a matter of it. Who heareth of such angry complaints on Gods behalf, as on mens own? Of such passionate ⟨p. 86⟩invectives, such sharp prosecutions, against those that wrong both God, and mens Souls, as against those that wrong a selfish person; (And usually every man seemeth to wrong him, who keepeth from him any thing which he would have, or saith any thing of him which is displeasing to him.) Go to the Assizes and Courts of Justice; look into the Prisons, and enquire whether it be Zeal for God, or for mens selves, which is the Plaintiff and Prosecutor? and whether it be for wronging God or them, that all the stir is made? Men are ready to say, God is sufficient to right himself: As if he were not the Original and the End of Laws and Government, and Magistrates were not his Officers, to promote obedience to Him in the World.

2. And the weak Christian is of the same mind in the main; but with so much imperfection, that he is much more frequent in censuring others, and complaining of their wrongs, and finding fault with them, and aggravating all that is said or done against himself, when he is hardly made so sensible of as great miscarriages in himself; as having much more uncharitableness, partiality, and selfishness, than a confirmed Christian hath. There are few things which weakness of Grace doth more ordinarily appear in, than this partiality and selfishness, in judging of the faults or duties of others, and of his own. How apt are (not only Hypocrites, but) weak Christians, to aggravate all that is done against them? and to extenuate or justifie all that they do against another? O what a noyse they make of it, if they think that any one hath wronged them? defamed them? disparaged them? or incroached on their right? If God himself be blasphemed or abused, they can more patiently bear it, and make not so great a matter of it. Who heareth of such angry complaints on Gods behalf, as on mens own? Of such passionate