Secondly, Caut. 2 Be tender to your brethren's infirmities, 1but severe to your own; this argues an excellent spirit, when a Christian aggravateth his own failings, but extenuates other mens; when he maketh complaints against himself, but apologies for his brethren: 2I am a wretch sold under sin; saith the Apostle of himself, But as to other believers, 3The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would: It is the very same apology, which our Lord Jesus made for his sleepy disciples in the garden; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. True Saints have apologies for others, when they have none for themselves; they can justify others while they judge themselves: the greatest fault they find is ⟨p. 118⟩with their own hearts. A true child of God is made up of Passion and Compassion; passion against himself, and Compassion towards his brethren; they condemn that in themselves, which they can excuse in another, yet not so as to suffer sin upon their brethren. Consciousness to our own Corruptions, 4should make us tender of our brethren; but our love to the souls of our brethren, should make us faithful to them. A careless passing by an offending brother, 5is our sin, not our love; and hatred, not compassion: we should bear with one another's infirmities: yet so as to be healers & physicians, to their soul distempers, not accessories. It is a sin, to speak of our brethren, but it is our duty to speak unto them; 6Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin. The Lord restore this spirit to his people in England, or else we are like water spilt on the ground, that can ⟨p. 119⟩never be gathered up again.
Secondly, Caut. 2 Be tender to your brethrens infirmities, 1but severe to your own; this argues an excellent spirit, when a Christian aggravateth his own failings, but extenuates other mens; when he maketh complaints against himself, but apologies for his brethren: 2I am a wretch sold under sin; saith the Apostle of himself, But as to other believers, 3The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would: It is the very same apology, which our Lord Jesus made for his sleepy disciples in the garden; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. True Saints have apologies for others, when they have none for themselves; they can justify others while they judge themselves: the greatest fault they find is ⟨p. 118⟩with their own hearts. A true child of God is made up of Passion and Compassion; passion against himself, and Compassion towards his brethren; they condemn that in themselves, which they can excuse in another, yet not so as to suffer sin upon their brethren. Consciousnesse to our own Corruptions, 4should make us tender of our brethren; but our love to the souls of our brethren, should make us faithfull to them. A carelesse passing by an offending brother, 5is our sin, not our love; and hatred, not compassion: we should bear with one anothers infirmities: yet so as to be healers & physitians, to their soul distempers, not accessories. It is a sin, to speak of our brethren, but it is our duty to speak unto them; 6Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, lest any of you be hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin. The Lord restore this spirit to his people in England, or else we are like water spilt on the ground, that can ⟨p. 119⟩never be gathered up again.
- 1to the Saints.
- 2Rom 7.24
- 3Gal. 5.17.
- 4Gal. 6.1.
- 5Levit. 19.17.
- 6Heb. 3.13. It is a blessed thing to be of an healing, and a restoring spirit.
