or of man's judgment (or day), &c.— Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come; who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, &c.-1 Cor. iv. 3-5. Charity suffereth long, &c. seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, &c. beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5. 7. In malice be ye children.-1 Cor. xiv. 20. 1 The fruit of the Spirit is, &c. longsuffering, gentleness, &c. meekness. -Gal. v. 22, 23. Titus iii. 2. Brethren, if (or although) a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself lest thou also be tempted: bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.—Gal. vi. 1, 2. Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, &c. Be ye tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.-Eph. iv. 1, 2.32. SECT. V. To live peaceably, avoid whispering, tale-bearing, and whatsoever tends to provoke, divide, or disturb the Peace among Brethren. ABRAM said unto Lot, let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, &c. for we be brethren, &c. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.-Gen. xiii. 8, 9. Thou shalt not raise (or receive) a false report.-Exod. xxiii. 1. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle &c. he that backbiteth not with his tongue, &c. nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.-Ps. xv. 1. 3. See the mischief which followed the false reports of Doeg to Saul, and of Ziba to David.- -1 Sam. xxii. 2 Sam. xvi. Seek peace, and pursue it.-Ps. xxxiv. 14. It was not an enemy that reproached me, then could I have borne it; but thou, a man, mine equal, &c. We walked unto the house of God in company.-Ps. lv. 12—14. Whosoever privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off.-Ps.ci.5. I am for peace, &c. they are for war. Ps. cxx. 7. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!-Ps. cxxxiii. 1. But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, &c. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, &c. bowels of mercies, &c. meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. If any man have a quarrel (or complaint) against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.-Col. iii. 8. 12, 13. Let every man be, &c. slow to wrath for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. James i. 19, 20. Speak not evil one of another, bre-Prov. xiii. 10. xxviii. 25. thren; for he that speaketh evil of his brother, speaketh evil of the law, &c. Who art thou that judgest another? James iv. 11, 12. Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves for charity shall (or will) cover the multitude of sins.-1 Pet. iv. 8. These things doth the Lord hate, &c. him that soweth discord among brethren.-Prov. vi. 16. 19. A tale-bearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.-Prov. xi. 13. Only by pride cometh contention. A whisperer separateth chief friends.-Prov. xvi. 28. He that repeateth the matter, sepa rateth friends, &c. The beginning of strife, is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with.-Prov. xvii. 9. 14. xxvi. 21. The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds.-Prov. xviii. 8. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife, &c. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer, revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth.-Prov. xx. 3. 19. Where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth, &c. The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds, &c.-Prov. xxvi. 20-22. Levit. xix. 16. The forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.-Prov. xxx. 33. Charity envieth not.-1 Cor. xiii. 4. For I fear, &c. lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, &c.-2 Cor. xii. 20. Is it so, that there is not a wise man amongst you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? but brother goeth to law with brother, &c. now, therefore, there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law, &c.-1 Cor. vi. 5-7. Brethren, &c. live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.-2 Cor. xiii. 11. If ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another, &c. The fruit of the spirit is, &c. peace, long-suffering, gentleness, &c. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.-Gal. v. 15. 22. 26. Eph. iv. 2. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, &c. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, &c. be put away from you.-Eph. iv. 3-6. 31. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, &c.—Phil. ii. 3. That ye study (or ambitiously striving) to be quiet, and do your own business, &c.-1 Thess. iv. 11. Be at peace among yourselves.1 Thess. v. 13. They learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tatlers also, and busybodies: speaking things which they ought not.-1 Tim. v. 13. 2 Thess. iii. 11, 12. Doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, &c.-1 Tim. vi. 4. 20. iv. 6. Charging them, &c. that they strive not about words to no profit, &c. Shun profane and vain babblings, &c. Follow peace with them that call on the Lord, &c. but foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.-2 Tim. ii. 14. 16, 17. 22, 23. The aged women, that they be not false accusers (or makebates). — Titus ii. 3. Avoid foolish questions, &c. contentions, and strivings about the law: for they, &c.-Titus iii. 9. Follow peace with all men.-Heb. xii. 14. Open rebuke is better than secret love.-Prov. xxvii. 5. I. To Rebuke, &c. THOU shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him (or that thou bear not sin for him).-Levit. xix. 17. He that rebuketh a man, afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.-Prov. xxviii. 23. If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go, and tell him his fault between thee and him alone, &c. If he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, &c.-Matt. xviii. 15-17. Luke xvii. 3, 4. Ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge: able also to admonish one another.-Rom. xv. 14. Paul rebuked Peter for not walking uprightly.-Gal. ii. 11—14. If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.Gal. vi. 1. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, &c. teaching and admonishing one another.-Col. iii. 16. Comfort (or exhort) yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do, &c. Warn them that are unruly (or disorderly); comfort the feebleminded. — 1 Thess. v. 11. 14. 1 Cor. viii. 1. If any man obey not, &c. have no company with him, &c. but admonish him as a brother.-2 Thess. iii. 14,15. Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren: the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters, &c. Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.-1 Tim. v. 1, 2. 20. Exhort one another daily, &c. lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.-Heb. iii. 13. He that reproveth a scorner, getteth to himself shame, &c. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee.Prov. ix. 7, 8. Debate thy cause with thy neigh--Heb, x. 24, 25. bour himself, and discover not a secret to another, &c. As an earring of gold, &c. so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.-Prov. xxv. 9. 12. Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves, &c. but exhorting one another. Brethren, if any one of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he, &c. shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.-James v. 19, 20. Of some have compassion, making a difference and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire: hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. -Jude 22, 23. : II. To take Rebuke, Admonition, &c. well from each other. WHEN David had rashly resolved to cut off all Nabal's family and Abigail had met him, and humbly and wisely admonished him; David accepts of the advice, and saith, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: and blessed be thy advice; and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from shedding of blood, &c. have hearkened to thy voice.-1 Sam. xxv. 22-33. I When Nathan had told David his sin in the matter of Uriah; David said, I have sinned against the Lord. -2 Sam. xii. 7. 13. When Joab had told the king of his error, in mourning so for Absalom, as to discourage his subjects who had fought for him; David hearkened and arose, and sat in the gate, as Joab advised.-2 Sam. xix. 5-8. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be as excellent oil which shall not break my head.-Ps. cxli. 5. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning.-Prov. i. 5. He that rebuketh a scorner, getteth to himself shame; and he that rebuketh a wicked man, getteth a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee: give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser, &c.Prov. ix. 7-9. xix. 25. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof, erreth (or causeth to err).Prov. x. 17. A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke, &c. Poverty and shame to him that refuseth instruction; but he that regardeth reproof, shall be honoured.-Prov. xiii. 1. 18. Whoso loveth instruction, loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof, is brutish, &c. He that hearkeneth unto counsel, is wise.-Prov. xii. 1. 15. A fool despiseth his father's instruction, but he that regardeth reproof is prudent, &c. He that hateth reproof shall die. A scorner loveth not one that reproveth, &c. The ear that heareth the reproof of life, abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction, despiseth his own soul, &c.-Prov. xv. 5. 10. 12. 31, 32. A reproof entereth more into a wise man, than an hundred stripes into a fool.—Prov. xvii. 10. As an ear-ring of gold, &c. so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.— Prov. xxv. 12. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. The rod and reproof give wisdom.Prov. xxix. 1. 15. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than the song of fools.— Eccles. vii. 5. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth ?—Gal. iv. 16. Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.—Eph. v. 21. Ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder; yea, all of you be subject one to another; and be clothed with humility.-1 Pet. v. 5. VII. To confess to, and each for other. pray WHEN a man or woman shall commit any sin, that men commit, to do a trespass against the Lord, &c. then they shall confess their sin which they have done and he shall recompense his trespass, &c. and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.Numb. v. 6, 7. And many that believed, came and confessed, and shewed their deeds.— Acts xix. 18, 19. Christ prays that they might be kept; that they may be one as we are, &c.-John xvii. 11. 22. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul.-Acts iv. 32. : We, being many, are one body in Christ and every one members one of another. Be of the same mind one towards another.-Rom. xii. 5.16. Now the God, &c. grant you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus; that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father.-Rom.xv. 5, 6. I beseech you brethren, &c. that ye all speak the same thing: and that there be no divisions; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. 1 Cor. i. 10. Whereas there is among you, &c. divisions: are ye not carnal? &c. One saith, I am of Paul, &c.1 Cor. iii. 3, 4. When ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you.-1 Cor. xi. 18. Finally, brethren, &c. be of one mind.-2 Cor. xiii. 11. with one mind striving together for the faith.-Phil. i. 27. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one spirit.Eph. iv. 3-5. That ye stand fast in one spirit, If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, &c. fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, &c. being of one accord, and of one mind: let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, &c.-Phil. ii. 1—3. Whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.-Phil. iii. 16. I beseech Euodias, &c. that they be of the same mind in the Lord.Phil. iv. 2. Finally, be ye all of one mind.1 Pet. iii. 8. SECT. IX. To walk wisely and charitably one towards another: and in things indifferent to have respect to the Meek; to avoid Offences. Ir we had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.-Matt. xii. 7. Hosea vi. 6. The Pharisees accused the disciples for plucking corn, and Christ for healing a withered hand, on the sabbath day; till he said unto them, Which of you having one sheep, &c. fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will not lay hold on it, and lift it out? &c. It is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.-Matt. xii. 1-4. 10— 12. Luke vi. 1, &c. Matt. xv. 2. Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Woe unto the world because of sea. offences: for it must needs be that offences come, but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.-Matt. xviii. 6, 7. Luke xvii. 1, 2. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry; but he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given: for there are some eunuchs which were so born, &c. and there are |