The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 4
I have ſomewhat to ſay unto thee. Text.
Wee read Iſa 53.7. Math. 27.12, 13, 14. Ioh. 19.9. that our Saviour was dumb as a ſheepe before his ſhearer, but no where can we read that he was dumb as a ſheapheard before his ſheepe,See the good Samaritane. pa. 12. he had ſtill ſomewhat to ſay as occaſion was offered.
Simon had overſhot himſelfe, and our Saviour was deſirous to cure him of his maladie, he had ſomewhat to ſay unto him for this purpoſe. We (eſpecially Miniſters) may learne hence.
Doct. To ſay ſomewhat to our Brother, when we ſee him runne into anerror. In ſuch a caſe we may not be ſilent, Lev. 19.17. Thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke thy Neighbour and not ſuffer ſin upon him. Obſerve.
Here is no Poſterne gate cloſely to entertaine a ſubſtitute. For reproofe is like the Peace-offering made by fire, Levit. 17.30. Thy owne hands muſt bring it, [Thou.]
Here is no corner for excuſe, if thou doeſt it not: a neceſſity is layed upon thee. The command is abſolute. [Shalt in any wiſe.]
Here is no Exemption of perſons, all being Neighbours, by the condition of our birth, mortality, and hope of the heavenly inheritance. [Thy Neighbour.]
Here is no diſpenſation to be granted for any tranſgreſſion of what kind ſoever, Sin may not be ſuffered upon him.
And as God in the Law; ſo Chriſt in the Goſpell, requires this duty of us, Math. 18.15. And after him his Apoſtles, 1 Theſ. 5.14. 2 Tim. 2. Yea Law and Goſpell, Prophets and Apoſtles, like Righteouſneſſe and Peace, Truth and Mercy in the Pſalme, kiſſe each other. Conforting all in one, and in ſweeteſt melody like a Quire of Angels, they tune their ſtrings and notes to this ditty, The duty of reproofe.
Vſe. Nec obmuteſcas amplius; as God ſaid to Exekiell, Ezek. 24. ult.hold your Faith, hold your Truth, hold your Profeſſion, but hold your Peace no more, Thou ſhalt ſpeak & be no longer dumb. Breake the ſtrings of thy tongue like the dumb ſonne in Herodotus; ſuffer no ſinne like the Perſian, to kill thy Father, Brother, Neighbour, through thy ſilence.
It was a Law in Iſraell, Thou ſhalt not ſee thy Brothers Oxe or Aſſe to ſall downe by the way, and hide thy ſelfe from them. Doth God take care for Oxen? nay for us are theſe things written. But pitty it is (ſaith S. Bernard) cadit aſina, ſuccurriturei; cadit anima non eſt qui relevet cam, the Aſſe falls and is ſuccoured; a ſoule falles and there is none which by ſeaſonable reproofe will relieve it.
Theſe be thoſe latter dayes, ſo long ſince foretold by our bleſſed Saviour, wherein Iniquity ſhould increaſe, and love waxe cold. Iniquity ſpreadeth her Cockatrices wings from Eaſt to Weſt, from Dan to Beerſheba: It hath increaſed with the encreaſe of mankind, as the Ivie doth with the Oak…. Were love burning in the hearts of men, (like that fire in the holy Temple) or had men their faces one towards another, (like thoſe Cherubins which covered the mercy ſeat with their wings, Exod. 25.20.) they would not onelyonly Returne themſelves, but likewiſe by their friendly Admonitions and Reproofe, cauſe others to returne from their tranſgreſſions.
Tot quotidie occidimus quot admortem ire tepidi & tacentes videmus. Greg.Gods Miniſters could not (then) but have ſomewhat to ſay to ſinners and not (through the ſilence of one) ſuffer two to die, Themſelves and their erring Brother: Themſelves through the omitting of this duty, (as we reade, Ezek 3.18.) Their Brother through continuance in his ſins that he hath committed.
Object. But this Age will not endure Reproofe. Ahab counts Elijah his enemy; The Galathians eſteemed Paul no better for this ſervice of Love, and liberty of ſpeech.
Reſp. Why ſhould they be taxed for liberty of ſpeech ſeeing men ſet no bounds unto their ſins? Mihi aliquando arguere permiſſum, Amb. Ser. 65. Audebo peccā ti mala ſua oſtendere: vitia ejus ſi non excidero, inhibebo: non deſinent ſed intermittent. Fortaſſe autem deſinent, ſi intermittendi cō ſuetudinem fecerint. Senec. de mor.tibi nunquam peccare, ſaith S. Ambroſe, we have Commiſſion for the one, they have no Commiſſion for the other. Why then ſhould we feare to execute it, or ſuffer ſin to affront us without ſmiting it? Heathens have beene more bold.
In the firſt of the Kings 20.35. we reade of one who entreated his neighbour in the name of God to ſmite him, which he refuſing to doe, was ſtaine by a Lyon. Sin will not ſay as that man of God did, percute me, ſmite me I pray thee, yet God hath commanded us to ſmite it; and if we refuſe to do ſo, Gods wrath will ſmite us as it did that Refuſer. Therefore deale we with it, as that other man did with the Prophet, verſe 37. Smite it where ere we find it.Gen. 4.15. God did ſet a marke on Cain leaſt any one finding him ſhould ſlay him; we may not ſet a marke on the forehead of any ſin, or ſinner (unleſſe he be a Scorner) for the ſparing of it; we are to ſmite it,1 King. 2. yea to ſlay it, where ere we find it, though with Ioab it flie to the Altars ſide for ſhelter.
To every one is given the diſpenſation of this Grace in due time and Place: As Ioſhua ſaid unto the people concerning Ai, Joſh 8.8.you ſhall ſet the City on fire according to the Commandement of the Lord, ſo ſhall you do, may it be ſaid to all the Tribes; Rebuke you every one his neighbour, ſet this ſtubble of ſin on fire, to conſume it according to Gods Command.
Conſentire eſt ſilere cum arguere poſſis, (ſaith Saint Bernard) Silence in the preſence of ſin implies a conſent unto it. Though thou ſaiſt not Euge (ſaith Saint Auſtin,) yet if thou ſaiſt not Apage, there is a mutuall Approbation. Nay the ſame Father in Mat. 16. goes farther yet, Pejor es tacendo (ſaith he) quam ille convitiando, our ſilence in not rebuking of our neighbour is more dangerous to us,Ita peccat, qui videt fratrem peccare, & tacet. ſicut qui paenitenti non indulget, &c. Rab Sup. illud Mat. 18. Si peccaverit in te frater tu…s. then his ſin is to himſelfe. Sure I am, he that ſaid if thy Brother repent forgive him, ſaid alſo (and in the firſt place) If thy Brother ſinne, Reproove him: Our fault may be held to be as great, not to reproove our Brother when he hath offended, as not to forgive him when he hath repented.
How to performe this duty aright, is one of the greateſt difficulties incident to humane diſcretion: And yet it is eaſier knowne, then done; and ſooner may we have Rules preſcribed, then practiſed: God hath dealt with us, as he did with Iſrael in the ſiege of Iericho; Joſh. 6.who, for the avoiding of danger, were before hand inſtructed, how to marſhall their Companies; what to do, when to be ſilent without any noiſe at all; and when to ſhout aloud that the walls of the City might fall downe flat: So in the Aſſault and expugning of this ſpirituall Iericho, ſin; we have direction from the mouth of God in holy Writ, for the Companies to be marſhaled: No railing Shemei nor furious Iehu is fit for this March (as before was ſhewed) Next when to be ſilent without any noiſe at all,Eccleſ. 3.7. Amos 5 13. Iſa 58.1. for as much as all things have their times and ſeaſons: And there is an evill time, when the Prudent will keep ſilence: Then when to uſe a ſtiller voice, and when a lowder, that the walls and buildings of this leprous houſe may fall downe ſlat, and be laid levell with the earth. But if I ſhould launch forth into this deep, my voyage would be too long in this point, my Text not leading me ſo directly to ſo large a diſcourſe. Wherefore I come to the Conſideration of the Perſon to whom our Saviour had to ſay.