The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Rules that shew vsus how to carry our selues in company, in respect of the faults of others.
THus of our carriage in company in respect of Religion. How wee must behaue our selues in company concerning the faults of others.Now concerning the faults of others, we must obserue these rules:
First, we must neuer in our discourse iustifie the wicked, or condemne the righteous; all excesse in words is euill, but this is an abomination to the Lord: We must euer honour those that feare the Lord; and as for vile persons, they are to be contemned, Psal. 15. 4. Amos 5. 15. Prou. 17. 15.
Secondly, let thy conuersation and discourse be without iudging, Math. 7. 1. Iam. 3. 17. It is time exceeding ill spent, that is spent in censuring of others. And the rather should wee take heede of iudging, if wee consider how the holy Ghost hath matched that sinne in that place of Iames, wee must be without iudging, without Note.hypocrisie: as if hee would signifie, that great Censurers are commonly great Hypocrites; & as any are more wise, they are more sparing of their censures.
Thirdly, thou must not walke about with tales; take heede of tale-bearing: He goeth about as a slanderer that reuealeth a secret, though it bee true hee speaketh. It is a maruelious euill custome that many hauehave, to fill vp their discourse with the report of the frailties of others, which they by some meanes or other come vnderunder-hand to know: this is an …uill frequently condemned in Scripture, and yet more vsually practised, as if it were lawfull to speake of anything which they know to be true: Thou shalt not walke about with tales, nor stand against the bloud of thy neighbour: a strange connexion, by which the Lord imports, that this talebearing is a kind of murther; and it is true in the case of many a man, thou wert as good lay violent hands vponupon him, as with that licentiousnesse of words to divulge tales concerning him, Pro. 20. 19. and 11. 13. Leuit. 19. 16. And for the better strengthning of this rule, thou art yet charged to looke to thy eares too, as well as thy tongue; thou must not receiue euill report against thy neighbour, but make it appeare thou art not pleased with such tales, Psal. 15. 3. Yea, thou art forbidden the societie of such persons as carry tales; thou must not meddle with tale-bearers, nor with such a… flatter with their lips: certainly such creatures commonly flatter the present, and reproach the absent, Prou. 20. 19.
Fourthly, if thou doe know an offence in any with whom thou conuersest, thou shalt not hate him Reproue, but hate not.in thy heart, but rather reproue him plainly. For, hee that rebuketh a man, shall afterwards finde more fauour then he that flattereth with his tong…, Leuit. 19. 17. Prou. 28. 23.
Fiftly, as for the meere frailties Passe by m…re frailties.of others, hold thy tongue, passe by them. A foole despiseth his neighbour, but a man of vnderstanding will hold his peace, Prou. 11. 12. Commonly they that hauehave most defect in themselues, are aptest to contemne others for their weakenesses: but a wise man must so distinguish of the faults of others, that hee couer meere frailties, and learne of God to passe by the infirmities of his seruants. The Antithesis shewes, that a wise man doth not onelyonly hold his tongue, but restraine his thoughts from thinking the worse of others for such infirmities.
Sixthly, against the passions and wrongs of others thou must arme thy selfe with a soft answer, and bee sure thou render not euill for euill, Prou. 15. 1. 1 Thess. 5. 15. or rebuke for rebuke, 1 Pet. 3. 9.