Exposition of Ezekiel 6-13, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 11 · Verses 14-15
VESS. 14, 15
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying:
Sonne of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the houſe of Iſrael wholly are they, unto whom the inhabitants of Jeruſalem have ſaid, Get ye farre from the Lord, unto us is this land given in poſſeſſion.
THeſe words are an anſwer to the Prophets deprecation of judgement; he had pleaded with God to ſpare the reſidue of Iſrael; the Lord tels him that the inhabitants of Jeruſalem looked upon them as none of the Lords people, upon the Land, City, Temple, Ordinances as theirs only; they thought the captives had nothing to doe with God, but were an abject people like the Babylonians and Heathens, cut off from God, the holy Land, and holy things; now ſaith God, ſee whom thou haſt interceded for? are theſe fit to be ſpared? wilt thou have thoſe that hate thee and the reſt of the captives to lye at peace in Jeruſalem? The Lord ſets them out before the Prophet what kind of perſons they were, and leaves it upon his thoughts to conſider of them, and gives not in the compleat anſwer till after in verſ. 21.
Or thus, the Prophet feared leſt God would now deſtroy all, and ſo his Church periſh altogether; but God here intimates to him that the reſidue of Iſrael lay not in the 25. mentioned before, nor in them that were in Jeruſalem, but rather in thoſe who were gone into captivity, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, &c. He calls his thoughts to them, & would rather have him look at them, the ſeed of the Church, the perſons to whom the promiſes belonged, of whom ſhould come the Meſſiah, then the others.
Thy brethren.
The word brethren hath divers acceptions in Scripture,
1. It notes the common nature of man, as in Gen. 29.4. ſaith Jacob, Whence are ye my brethren.
2. Thoſe are born of the ſame parents, one or both, Gen. 37.11.23. Mat. 20.24.
3. Such as are of kindred by conſanguinity or affinity, ſo Chriſts kinſmen were call'd his brethren, 1 Cor. 9.5.
4. Thoſe agree together, and are partners in any buſineſſe, at Simeon and Levi were brethen in iniquity, in murthering the Shechemites, Gen. 49.5.
5. Thoſe are godly true believers, that doe the will of God, Mat. 12.49. Heb. 2.11. 1 Tim. 4.6. 1 Theſ, 5.27.
6. Them that are of the ſame calling, Numb. 18.2. Ezr. 6.20. 2 Cor. 8.23.
Laſtly, Thoſe are of the ſame Countrey and Nation, Rom. 9.2. Paul could wiſh himſelfe accurs'd for his brethren who were Iſraelites of the Jewiſh nation. In what ſenſe to take brethren is doubtfull, becauſe the verſe ſpeaks afterwards of the men of his kindred, and all the houſe of Iſrael, ſo that hereby two acceptions of the word ſeem to be excluded, and the 1.2d and 4th are not intended. We may take brethren here for thoſe of the ſame calling,French is, lez hommes de ton parentage Caſt. Tuae conſanguinitatis homines. Piſc. Conſanguinei tui. Vulg Propinqui tui. Jun. & tre neceſſarij tui. The heb. is, viri redemptionis, tui. Mōt. foreign ſuch as were Prieſts and Prophets, few the Levites; but becauſe theſe were few, wee may take in alſo the kindred of the Prophet, for the words are not thy brethren, and the men of thy kindred, as making a difference betweene theſe; but thus are the words, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred.
Men of thy kindred.
Heb. is, the men of thy redemption. The law of redemption was, that if a man were waxen poore, and had ſold his houſe, land, or any perſon, ſome kinſman was to redeem it, as you may ſee, Levit. 25.25. and uſually the neareſt K…nſman was to doe it: and the words, if any of his kin come to redeem it, in the Hebr. are ubà goalo bakkarob elaſ & venerit redemptor ejus ille qui propinquus ad eum, he that is neare to him, it lay upon him was neareſt of blood to redeem houſe, land, or perſons, and alſo to revenge the blood of perſons if ſlain, Numb. 35.12. and therefore is rendred here by ſome viri vindiciarum tuarum, the men of thy avengements. Both theſe do ſet out near kinſmen, and therefore it's likely here are meant ſome ſpeciall kindred of the Prophets.
All the houſe of Iſrael.
All that were in Babylon carryed away with Jech…niah, it's ſpoken ſynechdochically, Iſrael for Judah.
Are they.
Theſe words are not in the Originall; but here are many nominative caſes abſolute, without any verb to referre to, or depend upon: Thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred and all the houſe of Iſrael wholly: This is uſuall in the holy writ, Pſal. 11.4. The Lord in his holy Temple, the Lords throne in heaven. So Epheſ. 3.1. For this cauſe I Paul a priſoner of Chriſt for you Gentiles. It's ſo in many places, which may be to make us heed the more what we read.
Ʋnto whom the inhabitants of Jeruſalem have ſaid, get ye farre from the Lord, &c.
In this part of the verſe is laid down the unjuſt proceedings of the men at Jeruſalem againſt thoſe in Babylon, and it appeares in theſe things;
1 They judge them not the Lords people, and ſo deny them communion with God and his wo ſhip, & therefore ſay, Get ye far from the Lord.
2. They arrogate Gods Temple, and the worſhip of it to themſelves, which is implyed.
3. They challenge the land and all in it to be theirs: To us is this land given in poſſeſſion.
4. They ſpake thoſe words with diſdain and ſcorn againſt the captives, they ſaid, get yee far from the Lord, yee are none of our brethren, none of the Church, yee are of Babylon, we are of Sion: yee were a fooliſh and timorous company, void of counſell and ſpirit in leaving your own Countrey, this City, and Temple.
Get yee farre from the Lord.
They deemed God was no where but in the Temple: And Chap. 8.6. their abhominations had cauſed God to goe farre from his Sanctuary; it's probable that from this phraſe the Heathens took up thoſe paſſages of thir… foreign procul eſte prophani, Schotti adagia ſacra, p. 19. Lavat.foreign, greſſus removete prophani: So thoſe expreſſions, ite in malam crucem, foreign, the Jewes at Jeruſalem thought the Jewes in Babylon to be cut off from their body they had unworthily left them, and were not now worthy to have any intereſt in their God or land.
Obſer. 1 God deales gently with his ſervants, notwithſtanding their infirmities. Ezekiel ſhewed ſome weakneſſe in ſaying, wilt thou make a full end of the reſidue of Iſrael? When God in his hearing had appointed the mourners to be mark'd, & had anſwered him this queſtion before, Chap. 9. yet God beares with his weakneſſe, and ſpeaks to him in a loving manner, and ſaith, Sonne of man, and hee upbraids him not for any forgetfulneſſe of what was done, for any jealouſie he had of Gods failing in making good his promiſe. He ſaith not, what troubleſt thou me any more? thou haſt had an aſwer, be gone, be ſilent? No, the Lord knows our weakneſſe, Pſal. 103.13, 14. As a father pittieth his children, ſo doth the Lord them that feare him; For hee knoweth our frame, becauſe we have weakneſſes, therefore doth God pitty, he doth not puniſh, but pitty the weakneſſe of his. Deut. 1.31. In the wilderneſſe the Lord thy God did heare thee as a man doth beare his ſonne, in all the way that ye went. Sometimes the father carries the child in his arms, ſets it upon his knee, and dandles it; the crying, peeviſhneſſe, halfe ſervices, coſt, trouble in its education, he bears with all: and ſo whatever is burthenſome in Gods children, he ſuffers it, Acts 13.18.40. he ſuffered their manners, foreign ſome thinke it put for foreign as a Nurſe beareth her child in her wombe, in her armes, feedeth it with her breaſts; ſo God ſuffered them. Iſa. 63.9. He bare them, and carryed them all the dayes of old, and doth ſo ſtill. The Lord Chriſt beares our infirmities, and puts up many a hard thing from us: Peters denyall, Paul and Barnabas contention, Thomas his unbeliefe; and not only the infirmities of one or two, but of all Saints, Heb. 4.15. He is touched, and touched to the quicke with the feeling of our infirmities.
2. Thoſe have the name and ſhew of a Church are rigid, cruel, againſt thoſe are the true Church: they of Jeruſalem ſay to th'others, get you farre from the Lord; They were in captivity, ſuffered hard and ſore things there, yet theſe adde afflictions to their affliction, they tell them they are none of Gods people, have nothing to doe with his worſhip; and ſo cut them off from all hope, Iſa. 10.6. They were an hypocriticall Nation, and they perſecute, excommunicate thoſe were faithfull and obedient to the will of God; for thoſe Jewes were in Babylon at the command of God, and the counſell of Jeremiah, yielded themſelves to Nebuchadnezzar, and were carryed away; hereupon they at Jeruſalem reject them, and thruſt them from God and his worſhip. Falſe worſhippers ever hate the true. The Samaritans and thoſe worſhipped the Calves, hated the Jewes that differed in their worſhip from them. 1 Theſ. 2.14, 15. Yee brethren became followers of the Churches of God, which in Judaea are in Chriſt Jeſus; for ye alſo have ſuffered like things of your own countrey men, even as they have of the Jewes, who both killed the Lord Jeſus and their own Prophet, and have perſecuted us, forbidding us to ſpeake to the Gentiles, v. 16. Thus the Papiſts and others deale with us, becauſe they have the name of Church and ſome corrupt Ordinances, can plead ſucceſſion of their Prieſts from Peter, therefore they reproach us who are juſtly gone from them, with the terms of Hereticks, Schiſmaticks, Synagogue of Satan, the malignant Church; that we have torn Chriſts coate, ren… our ſelves from his dody; that we have ſhaken the Church, nad troubled the whole world: Thus with their virulent tongues do they aſperſe us; thus Iſhmael dealt with Iſaac, Gal. 4.29. Long agoe the worſe perſecuted the better, thus is it now.
3. Men of rigid and bitter ſpirits are puft up and conceited of their wayes and priviledges; ſee it here, they ſeparate the other far from God, bid them get them farr off, which amounts to this, you have nothing to doe with God or his ways; God is not with you, he is with us, his O…dinances are for us; you are falſe, erroneous, but we are orthodox, ſound, and the poſſeſſion and priviledges of the Temple are ours; they juſtifyed and prefer'd themſelves above, and before tho…e were in Babylon, and boaſted cloſely of their own worth and advantages; Their malice blinded them, and m…d… them boaſt fooliſhly. Paul had a perſecuting ſpirit at firſt, and how conceited was he of his own wayes, Acts 26.9, 10, 11. I verily thought with my ſelfe that I ought to doe many things contray to the name of Jeſus of Nazareth, and therefore he complained of the Saints, got power from Authority to puni…h them,Inſinuated all arguments to make them odious. to impriſon them, to put them to death, therefore he compel'd them to blaſpheme, and perſecuted them to ſtrange Cities, and fulfilled that which Chriſt had ſaid, John 16.2. They ſhall put you out of the Synagogues; yea the time commeth, that whoſoever killeth you will thinke he doth God ſervice. They, the Scribes and Phariſees, they would not ſuffer the Chriſtians to meet in their Synagogues, and their Teachers to preach unto them; but ſtirr'd up thoſe had power in their hand to perſecute and put them to death. The Scribes and Phariſees were opinionated of their own wayes, and could not endure others better then themſelves. Luke 18.11, 12. ſaith the Phariſee, I am not as other men are. True, for he was more better conceited of his own righteouſneſſe, and further from merciemercy then the Publican.
4. Men in falſe and corrupt wayes are glad they are ridde of thoſe are conſcientious, bound up by divine truths, and obedient to the will of God. Ezekiel, Daniel, and others knew, that if they had ſtaid in Jeruſalem, and not yielded themſelves to Nebuchadnezzar, they had dyed for it; they were acquainted with Jeremies propheſie and counſell, which doubtleſſe he had delivered in Jehoiachin's dayes, as well as in Zedechiah's, Chap. 21.9.38.2. That if they yielded themſelves to the King of Babylon, they ſhould live, which they durſt not diſobey: and therefore it's ſaid, 2 Kings 24.12. that Jehoiakim King of Judah went out to the King of Babylon, foreign.which act of his Joſephus magnifies, ſaying, he was ſo good and juſt, that he would not ſee the City to periſh for his ſake; that the City and Citizens might be the ſafer, he hearkned to Jeremies counſell. Now theſe men that were left at Jeruſalem were glad they were gone, even Ezekiel and his brethren that were of his judgement, and d…ffer'd from them, and Jeremie they were weary of, and thoſe thought as he thought, Jer. 38.4. So that men in falſe ways, are deſirous, and glad to be rid of thoſe conform not to themſelves. Iſa. 66.5. Your brethren that hated you, that caſt you out for my names ſake, ſaid, let the Lord be glorified. Thoſe were the godly, oppoſed the falſe ways of the reſt, and laboured to reduce them to the truth, therefore they hated them, and caſt them out as they pretended, for the Lords name ſake, they ſaid they had the true way and worſhip, that the others were erroneous, factious, proud, cenſorious, troublers of Church and State, and therefore in reference to Gods name they caſt them out, excommunicated them, the word is, foreign elongantes vos, get ye farre off out of our coaſts and quarters; get ye into Babylon, or to the 10. Tribes, we may not, we cannot, we will not beare you: and how did they reioyce in it, let God be glorified. It's no fault of ours, thank your ſelves: you are ſo tenacious of your opinions, ſo differing from us, and ſo burthenſome to us, that we ſhall doe God and the Church good ſervice to caſt you out; God ſhall have glory, and we ſhall have eaſe; we ſhall goe on quietly in our way. So the Jewes and Phariſees caſt out the blind man, when once he came to ſee more then themſelves, John 9.34. and made an order to caſt any man out that ſhould confeſſe Chriſt, and ſo differ from them in judgement or practiſe, verſ. 22. This is the nature of falſhood; whereas truth is ſo farre from drawing men from God, that it invites them to come to God: Truth and true godlineſſe is full of love, which beareth, hopeth, and endureth all things, 1 Cor. 13.7. and therefore the ſervants of God are deſcribed, 2 Tim. 2.24, 25. To be gentle to all men, patient, in meekeneſſe inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe, foreign, if at any time God, &c. They will not drive men from God, from truth, but bear and forbear, that if it be poſſible they may draw men to the truth. How was Ezekiel affected with their condition, how did he intercede for them?
5. The Lord conſiders and takes notice of the words and wayes of thoſe which have ill will to his people, though far off from them: There were ſome faithfull ones in Babylon, and they at Jeruſalem ſpake hardly of them, dealt unkindly with them; they ſaid, get ye farre off from the Lord, ye are neither our brethren, nor the Lords children: Ye have no right to this land, nor intereſt in us. This the Lord laid to heart, and took notice of▪ and acq…aints the Prophet with it; there is nothing thought, ſaid, or done in the world againſt any of the Lords, but he hath cognizance of it, and as ſeemes good to him, diſcovers the ſame, any bitter paſſages towards his he obſerves. Obad. v. 11. God tels Edom there of her dealing with his people; when ſtrangers carryed away my people captive, thou ſtoodſt on the other ſide, and waſt as one of the enemies; but thou ſhouldeſt not have looked on, rejoyced, and ſpoken proudly in the day of their diſtreſſe; thou ſhouldſt not have laid hands on their ſubſtance, nor have cut off thoſe that eſcaped: verſ. 15. As thou haſt done, it ſhall be done to thee, thy reward ſhall return upon thine owne head. They ſpake proudly, and did cruelly againſt their brethren, but God obſerved it, and rewarded it. Pſal. 50.20. Thou ſitteſt and ſpeakeſt againſt thy brother, thou ſlandereſt thy owne mothers ſonne: but I will reprove thee. So in Jer. 48.30. I know his wrath ſaith the Lord, but it ſhall not be ſo, his lyes ſhall not ſo effect it. Moab was proud and wrathfull againſt the people of God, threatned them, plotted againſt them, and thought by lyes and crafty carriages of things to ruine them, the Lord regarded it, and ſaid, his lies ſhall not ſo effect it; the word for lyes is foreign and rendred bars in the margent:Nugae ejus Mont. Lyes were their refuge, their ſtrength, the barres they truſted to, and lean'd on; but lyes ſhould not effect it, God would break thoſe bars, and fruſtrate their lyes. Zeph. 28.9. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themſelves againſt their border. Therefore as I live ſaith the Lord of hoſts, the God of Iſrael, ſurely Moab ſhall be as Sodome, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of Nettles and Salt pits, and a perpetuall deſolation; Let men ſpeake and plot againſt the ſervants of God, in due time Chriſt will come with 10000. of his Saints to convince men of all their hard ſpeeches which ungodly ſinners have ſpoken againſt h m and his.
6. Men deeply guilty, are deeply ſecure, they were Idolatrous in the higheſt degree, ſo oppreſſive that they fill'd the Land with bloody crimes and cries, they were prophane and ſcoffed at the Prophets, and their Propheſies; they had ſeene a ſudden hand of God upon Pelatiah, and yet they were ſecure and promiſed ſafety to themſelves, the Land is ours, its given us in poſſeſſion, we ſhall quietly injoy it, we feare no Captivity, loſſe of Countrey, Temple, or City. Their King was under diſgrace, he had violated the oath, perjured himſelfe, and ſhortly after, Mothers did eate their Children, and men in Scarlet imbraced the dunghill; all was layd waſt, and yet they feared not. Sometimes when their conſciences were awakened, and guilt ſtirred, they did feare, but genarally they were ſecure, and dreamed of liberty and long life. The Egyptians feared not till the waters came upon them and drowned them: God pluckt away the ten Tribes for their ſinnes, and ſent them into Captivity, yet Jer. 3.8. Treacherous Judah feared not, but went on in her wayes of wickedneſſe, and when the Sword was at the do…r…, they looked ſtill for peace, Jer. 8.15, 16. Some creatures ſleep moſt in Winter, and many are drowſie againſt rainy weather, wicked men are ſleepy when ſtormes are comming.
7. Thoſe goe out from the Brethren upon juſt grounds, and meet with unjuſt cenſures for it, God will juſtifie and vindicate. Theſe captives in Babylon went forth from Jeruſalem, which only was the place of Gods worſhip, where only he had a people and that upon Jeremiahs counſell and exhortation they went forth to ſave the City and their lives, for this they are cenſured deeply of the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem; but the Lord pleads for them, and ſaith to the Prophet, Thy Brethren, thy Brethren, are the men ſpoken againſt: this patheticall repetition of the word brethren, notes Gods indignation againſt their cenſure they gave of them, and his calling of them, the Prophets Brethren, argues his clearing of the Prophet, and them, in what they had done. And the next ve ſe cleares it further, they did nothing but what God would have done; and therefore ownes as his owne act, I have caſt them farre off among the Heathen, &c. If Gods people doe withdraw from others upon good grounds, what ever men object againſt them, yet they ſhall have approbation in Heaven, and in their owne hearts: Theſe were juſtified for going out of Sion into Babylon; ſurely then God will not condemne men for comming out of Babylon into Sion. When we left Rome and Romiſh traſh, we had good warrant for it; and ſo Luther who took the firſt ſtep thence: For indulgencies troubled Luther, …nd when he Preached againſt them, the Romiſh Prieſts, d d alto faſtu diſdaine his Preaching, he heard the way of truth blaſphemed, ſaw men were forced to new Articles of Faith, and himſelfe was compelled to ſubmit to S…tanicall Doctrine; theſe were juſt cauſes to induce Luther to leave the Romiſh Babylon: And therefore he was unjuſtly excommunicated by Pope Leo, in whoſe Bull this is made the cauſe,Mort. Grand impoſt. p. 335. becauſe he denyed the Church to have power to create new Articles of faith: But the Lord hath juſtified his ſeparation from them, and ours ſince him; th…ir Idolatrous Maſſe, their corrupt Doctrines, denying of the Cup to the people, &c. are juſt grounds for us and others to leave them; for if Rome be a Church,We have not left the word of God, the Apoſtles of Chriſt, or Churches they inſtituted; but wee are gone, ab hypocritarum contagione, Alſted. its not onelyonly ſubject to errours as other Churches are, but more ſubject to erring then any other Church Chriſtian, and the moſt Schiſmaticall of all Chriſtian Churches, and the onelyonly Church againſt which there is a Propheſie in the Goſpell, of falling from the Faith, which three laſt things that learned man Morton ſhews, and he hath a ſection (its the 7. of his 15. Ch.) to ſhew what may be judged neceſſary cauſes of ſeparation from any particular Churches, as obſtinacy of errour in Teachers, affected ignorance, obduration of people. Idolatry in Gods worſhip, tyranny and perſecution againſt the true and ſyncere profeſſors; to which I conceive this may further be added, that if a Church be ſo defiled that the Members of it cannot partake of the Ordinances without ſinne, having uſed all meanes for redreſſe, they may juſtly depart, ſo it be in a peaceable manner, and God will juſtifie them.
8. Where much may be pretended for truth of Churchſhip, there may be no Church. Same mak… notes of the true Church.
1. Succeſſion,There can be no true ſucceſſion without true Doctrine. Stapleton. thoſe at Jeruſalem in Ezekiels dayes Prieſts and people ſucceeded Aron, Eli, and other Prieſts and Levites, that were faithfull, but at this time, they were, both Prieſts, and people become fearfully Idolatrous, Fruſtra allegatur ſucceſſio perſonarum ubi non eſt ſucceſſio formae.
2. Carnall ſeed: They were of kin to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and other godly ones in Babylon; they were Abrahams, The Saracens are from Hagar and Abraham, though for honour they choſe to be cal'd from Sarah, yet theſe are not the true Church.Davids ſeed, yet this made them not a true Church, therefore Jeremiah cals Judah a harlot, Chap. 3.8.
3. Multitudes, here were a greater multitude at J…ruſalem then in Babylon, but what were they? A multitude of Idolators, oppreſſors, ſcoffers, perſecutors, and ſuch materialls are fitter to make a Tower of Babel, then a Temple in Sion: Multitudo veſparum non apum.
4. They dwell at Jeruſalem, in Judea the holy City, the holy Land, but they had defiled both with their abominations, and neither of thoſe added any holineſſe to them: Men at Jeruſalem, and of Jeruſalem were worſe then thoſe in Babylon: I…s not Jeruſal…m, or the locall bounds of Judea can make theſe the true Church.
5. Proſperity, outward pompe, greatneſſe, glory, theſe men at Jeruſalem had what the World and creatures could afford them, plenty, honour, liberty,Unity among them. Vnity in idolatrie oppreſſion. and they in Babylon were poor Captives, deſpiſed, villified, ſcorned ones; the glory of the Church is internall, not externall: a…d what glory had the mourners in Jeruſalem.
6. The Temple; and worſhip of it had theſe men at Jeruſalem, the Captives had no Temple, no ſacrifices, no proſperity, no holy Land, or City, no multitudes, no ſucceſſion, yet they were the Church of God, and not thoſe, for God is wro…h with them of Jeruſalem, for thinking themſelves the Church, when as they were none, and un-Churching the other, when as they were the true Church, and are cal'd by God, the houſe of Iſrael; and it further appeares that thoſe of Jeruſalem were not the true Church, becauſe they were deſtinated to deſtruction, and as ſore judgements as ever people were, Chap. 5.9, 10. and ſix ſlaughter-men deſigned to ſlay them utterly, Chap. 9. The truth of Churchſhip is to be fetched from other things: Its Caetus fidelium, ſaith our Article, ſuch as profeſſe Chriſt and his Goſpell, and practice anſwerably, ſuch as are orderly united and obſerve Divine order in the things of God,The word may be truly Preached to thoſe are no Church, and the ſeales adminiſtred to thoſe are a falſe Church as at this time Circumciſion and the Paſſover: Ordinances are food and maintenance of the Church rather then marks of it. Epheſ. 4.12. the Apoſtles and other Officers in the Church were given foreign, for the joyning together of the Saints, and putting them as members of the body in their right places, Ʋt omnia apte inter ſe cohaereant, Col. 2.5, 6.
9. Its Gods mind and will, that thoſe are ſtrong, highly favoured of God, ſhould look at thoſe under, beneath them as Brethren; there were many in Babylon queſtionleſſe, who were meane in knowledge, low in naturals, weake in faith, tainted with ſome errours and corruptions of Jeruſalem, if not of Babylon; yet ſaith God, Thy Brethren, thy Brethren: Where there is any thing of God or Chriſt, though many and great infirmities accompany and cloud the ſame, we ſhould look upon them as Brethren. When Chriſt ſaw a little morall good in the young man, he look'd upon him, and lov'd him, Mark 10.21. and ſhall we ſee any ſpirituall good in any, and not love them and uſe them as Brethren. Looke onelyonly at the good and graces are in one another, and not at the weakneſſes: You can eye a little Gold in much earth, and why not a little grace, Gal. 6.2. Beare yee one anothers burdens, and ſo fulfill the Law of Chriſt.
We muſt anſwer for ſtumbling at the infirmities of the godly, and alſo for neglect of their graces; if their corruptions doe alienate, their graces ſhould allure, its more honourable and Chriſtian, to love them for bearing Chriſts Image, then for being of our judgement.