The right way to shake off a viper. An essay, upon a case too…

Had we been more concerned for the Name of God, who can tell, but He would have been more concerned for ours? When you go on, it may be you will find, that you have not always been so tender of your Neighbours good Name, as you should have been, or so cautious of making right, fair, exact Representations, when he has been spoken of. At least, when you have heard a Neighbour with too much Truth, ill spoken of, there has not been that grief in you, and that Leve which rejoices not in Iniquity, as there should have been. The Injuries done to your Name, are it may be to Chasten you, for this too common miscarriage. Behold therefore the Goodness & Severity of God! Severity, in his not leaving such a most frequent fault without Chastening. But Goodness, because you are Chastened of the Lord, that you should not be condemned with the World, and in another World. Or, 'tis possible you may have treated some very impious and vicious Persons with too much of Complaisance and Complement; tho' your design might be nothing under Heaven, but only to win upon them, that you might do them Good, and make them Good, and bring them to do Good; yet you may have indiscreetly forgotten the last of the Proverbs of Solomon. God may therefore correct this indiscretion ⟨p. 7⟩of yours, by making such Persons to be the Instruments of bringing very great Reproaches upon you. Briefly, Carry on the Scrutiny with all the accuracy imaginable, to discover the Righteousness of God in your most unrighteous Defamations. Upon the discovery, Repent of what has been amiss; abhor it; bewail it; weep to the Lord, that for the sake of that Blood, which cleanses from all Sin, you may have the Pardon of it. Oh! happy Reproaches which quicken us in the great work of Repentance! Be as meek as a Lamb, under the Injuries that are done you; let the Righteousness of God, shining therein, make you so. But fly to the Lamb of God: And verily when you have conversed with the Bleed of the Lamb, you will have white Robes upon you: White Robes, I say; You may defy Earth and Hell to bespatter them.

Had we been more concerned for the Name of God, who can tell, but He would have been more concerned for ours? When you go on, it may be you will find, that you have not always been so tender of your Neighbours good Name, as you should have been, or so cautious of making right, fair, exact Representations, when he has been spoken of. At least, when you have heard a Neighbour with too much Truth, ill spoken of, there has not been that grief in you, and that Leve which rejoyces not in Iniquity, as there should have been. The Injuries done to your Name, are it may be to Chasten you, for this too common miscarriage. Behold therefore the Goodness & Severity of God! Severity, in his not leaving such a most frequent fault without Chastening. But Goodness, because you are Chastened of the Lord, that you should not be condemned with the World, and in another World. Or, 'tis possible you may have treated some very impious and vicious Persons with too much of Complaisance and Complement; tho' your design might be nothing under Heaven, but only to win upon them, that you might do them Good, and make them Good, and bring them to do Good; yet you may have indiscreetly sorgotten the last of the Proverbs of Solomon. God may therefore correct this indiscretion