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Show . H11• • f;f,,.lfl/~11 t!l"l (tt"' -'Thi~ f{uic qq come only f{om tile VjQe. Other Chrillians may vifibly bring forti} l~rger and f•ircr fruit, but if this be wanting 'tis rotten at the Core. The Grape you know is a' little berry, .but none fweeter. There are larger and bigger fruits, but none .more pkafanc than the Grape. And methinks (Chrillians,) if you would but duly weigh this, you need not be at a !ofs at any time ·t<>try your truth of grace. Certainly, a man may know as to che facisfaetion of his own Soul, Whether he loves Cbr~fi yea or no, as well as whether he loves his Friend yea or no? and I tell 1 Cor.rp,o. yo~ again, Love iJthe fuljiUing oft he L•w. Truth of Grace is not to 9~ judged from gifts, but gracioUI inf.Heucu: not from perfermaitcn but from Love. Find this,and you !hall lind all. But I come to the t.fl ufe which I chiefly intended; that is an ufe of Exhor-tation, which will look ~wo ways : 1. Vpon you th•t are jlrong, or at leaf! judg your felves fo. 2. Upon you "'bo are, or atleaftjudg your felvu "''""' . r. Let me firfl apply my felf to you who arejirong, or at leaf! judg your felves fo: (though lee me tell y.ou, it is no very great evidence of a flrong Chrifiian to j0dg himfelf fo. ) That which I have to fpeak to you for, is to look to your felves, as to your behaviour towards them that are weak. In the firfl place, Take heed of coHdemniN[ yottr Bretbrm for meer "tak.,nrfi. It may b'e Chrills Vi11e though it hath but tender grapes. There be a great many very errontous ways of judging concerning Chrillian,:': We look upon Chriflians as Samuel looked upon the fons of Jrjfee, ttpon their countenance, and the height •f their flatnrr. I. Of fome we judg by their paru and performancu: They have great knowledg, they are able to fpeak to God in Prayer more fluently than others, and to men in the things of God more copioufly than others: we prefently fay the anointtd of the Lord i1 be fort us ; perhaps it is but an Eliab whom the Lord hath rejeCted. 2. Of fomc we judg by their conjidmcu: They arrogate to them!elves more than belong to them, and have the confidence to fay with Jtbu, Come "Pinto my Cb6riot,and fee my Z.<al for the Lord ~~ Ho(ls i and we think their heart is at their tongues-ends, when It may be they are but 7eh~<u got into a Chariot of ambition, and driving furioufly to fome felf-end of their own, and that is their journeys-end. But obferve what I faid to you before (Brethren) 1 ancl_ and you fhall not err. That SoHI that lovtJ rJod is unqueflionably born of God. View the whole of a man or a womans converfations, where you fee a Soul breathing after God upon all occa!ions fo far as they are able, expre!ling their love to God In Duties, Or· dinances, in Reading, Hearing, in an hatred of !in, and purfui.ng Righteoufnefs, in loving, delighting in,doing good to the fervants of God. There's a Chriflian, there's one hath the root of the matttr in him: though he or !he may be weak in knowledg,and weak il] judgment, yea, though he or fhe in particular aCts may have their failings, and they n:ay po!Iibly not yet have got a full viCtory over fomc lulls or corruptions, that were their iniquities either from their natural temper,or an ill-habit or cuf\ome contraCted in the days of their ignorance. Take heed of judging Chriftians for weaknefs; God, faith the Apoflle, hath received them. 2. Secondly, See you perform your dilly to them; what that Duty is, I !hewed you in the DoCtrinal part. You may lind fome of · them weak in knowledg and judgment,trouble not their heads with qu~llions, with doubtful difputations. You may find a Chrillian that like the Martyr cannot difi>Hie for Cbrift, but yet can dit for Chrijl ; and you may po!libly fee and admire others that can difpute for Chrifl and cannot die for Chrifl, You may po!libly find' a Chritlian "''"k.. in judgment, and who through weakuefs and difirufl to his own judgment, · though he flumbles at a thing, yet may do it feeing you do it before him; do not lay a ftumbling ·b/ock.. before l>im; you lm"w this is the Apof\le's Precept, and I conceive mull have thefe two limitations: I. The thing mull be in its"'"' """'" i~t~liffirmt, otherwife we have no liberty. 2. It mull be in tbi>tgs relating to the "'"./hip of God. I fay lirfl, it m"fl be in things in tb~ir ollffl nature indi.ffrrent ; .1 mull •do my duty let who will be offended, but Charity commands me to forbear my liberty. J mull not venture my own Soc! to fave anothers; but I ooght to venture my own humour, or pleafure, ot profit, or conveniency >in fuch a cafe, or certainly I do not walk ch~ritably. Some would lltctch this limitation in their telling us, Tb~t it· m11ft be in thi»gr indiffir<ut .. br" "'' "" HDt dettrmined to·olft p>rt, by th• command of lfltr Superialtrs: Bot I cannot yield that becaufe it is more than I know, if the Superiour be excepted out of the law ofGhaiitf. He dc~bdefs ought ·nll~ to lay a fl.utnbling-block be for~ |