A29368:335
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference…
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridge ...The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1671
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Fifthly, If after all this there do remain division among you, by reason of your judgements, or opinions; then remember the Apostles rule, and be sure to walk by it: for saith he (as we instanced before) Let no man think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think soberly; as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. The Apostle directs us, to live humbly, and walk meekly one toward another; and not to be rash, or to think highly of our selves. But further;
Sixthly, If we would live in love and ⟨p. 122⟩unity, then let us look upon other mens infirmities in conjunction with their excellencies, and their excellencies in conjunction with their infirmities; and thereby the one will take away or hide the other: Let us not pore only upon a mans infirmities, upon his Euts as I may say; he is a godly man but —: therefore if you would agree, join his infirmities and his excellencies together, and then look upon him.
Sixthly, If we would live in love and ⟨p. 122⟩unity, then let us look upon other mens infirmities in conjunction with their excellencies, and their excellencies in conjunction with their infirmities; and thereby the one will take away or hide the other: Let us not pore only upon a mans infirmities, upon his Euts as I may say; he is a godly man but —: therefore if you would agree, joyn his infirmities and his excellencies together, and then look upon him.
Seventhly, If you should meet with any provocation, that may weaken your love one toward another, then be sure to take that as an opportunity to exercise your patience, and your love; when you meet a beggar in the streets full of sores, then you think you have an opportunity to exercise your charity, to give something. And so you should say, when you are provoked by another to debilitate your love and affection, you may say, why now have I an opportunity to exercise my patience. Again