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

Bear ye one another's burden, and so fulfil the Law of Christ. When people can bear with almost no infirmity in a neighbour, in a servant, or in their nearest friends, but will make the worst of every fault, no wonder if God make such feel their dealings with others, by his dealings with them. Had such that Love to their poorest brethren, which thinketh no evil, and speaketh not evil, which suffereth long and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not it self, is not puffed up, behaveth not it self unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, 1 Cor. 13.4, 5, 7. Had we more of this love which covereth a multitude of Infirmities; God would cover our Infirmities the more, and tell us of ⟨p. 303⟩them, and trouble us for them the less.

Bear ye one anothers burden, and so fulfill the Law of Christ. When people can bear with almost no infirmity in a neighbour, in a servant, or in their neerest friends, but will make the worst of every fault, no wonder if God make such feel their dealings with others, by his dealings with them. Had such that Love to their poorest brethren, which thinketh no evil, and speaketh not evil, which suffereth long and is kinde, envieth not, vaunteth not it self, is not puffed up, behaveth not it self unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, 1 Cor. 13.4, 5, 7. Had we more of this love which covereth a multitude of Infirmities; God would cover our Infirmities the more, and tell us of ⟨p. 303⟩them, and trouble us for them the less.

To this sin I may add another, which is scarce another, but partly the same with this, and partly its immediate effect: and that is, Unpeaceableness and unquietness with those about us; this commonly occasioneth God to make us as unpeaceable and unquiet in our selves. When people are so froward, and peevish, and troublesome, that few can live in peace with them, either in family or neighbourhood, except those that have little to do with them, or those that can humour them in all things, and have an extraordinary skill in smooth speaking, flattering or man-pleasing, so that neighbours, servants, children, and sometimes their own yoke-fellows, must be gone from them, and may not abide near them, as a man gets out of the way from a wild beast or a mad dog, or avoideth the flames of a raging fire; is it any wonder if God give these people as little peace in their own spirits, as they give to others. When people are so hard to be pleased that no body about them or near them can tell how to fit their humours; neighbours cannot please them, servants cannot please them, Husband or Wife cannot please each other; every word is spoke amiss, and every thing done amiss to them;