The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

And as you should be jealous of these great heart-transgressions, so should you be of particular actual sins. Examine whether the jealous eye of God see not something that much offendeth him and causeth your heaviness. I will not enlarge so far as to mind you of the particular sins that you should look after, seeing it must be All, and your obedience must be universal. Only one I will give you a hint of. I have observed God sometimes show himself most displeased and angry to these Christians, who have the least tenderness and compassion towards the infirmities of ⟨p. 301⟩others. He that hath made the forgiving others a necessary condition of Gods forgiving us, will surely withdraw the sense of our forgiveness, when we withdraw our forgiveness and compassion to men. He that casts the unmerciful servant into hell, who takes his fellow-servant by the throat, will threaten us and frown upon us if we come but near it. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. He shall have judgement without mercy that showeth no mercy, Jam. 2.13. Study well Rom. 14. & 15. Chap. & Gal. 6. which the proud, censorious, self-esteeming Professors of this age have studied so little, and will not understand. When we deal sourly and churlishly with our weak brethren, and in stead of winning an offender by love, we will vilify him, and disdain him, and say, How can such a man have any Grace? and will think and speak hardly of those that do but cherish any hopes that he may be gracious, or speak of him with tenderness and compassion; no wonder if God force the consciences of such persons to deal as churlishly and sourly with them, and to clamour against them, and say, How canst thou have any true grace, who hast such sins as these? When our Lord himself dealt alway so tenderly with sinners, that it gave occasion to the ⟨p. 302⟩slanderous Pharisees to say, He was a friend of Publicans and sinners: (and so he was; even their greatest friend.) And his command to us is, We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please our selves: Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification: For even Christ pleased not himself,