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50 - The Cure of Evil-speaking - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Sermon forty nine, The Cure of evil speaking. If thy
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  Speaker 1: brother shall sin against THEE, go and tell him his
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  Speaker 1: fault between THEE and him alone. If he shall hear THEE,
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  Speaker 1: thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not here,
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  Speaker 1: take with THEE one or two more that in the
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  Speaker 1: mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established.
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  Speaker 1: And if he will not hear them, tell it to
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  Speaker 1: the Church. But if he does not hear the Church,
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  Speaker 1: let him be to THEE as a heathen man and
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  Speaker 1: a publican. Matthew eighteen fifteen through seventeen one speak evil
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  Speaker 1: of no man, says the Great Apostle, as plain a command,
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  Speaker 1: as thou shalt do no murder. But who even among
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  Speaker 1: Christians regards this command? Yea, how few are there that
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  Speaker 1: so much as understand it? What is evil speaking? It
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  Speaker 1: is not, as some suppose, the same with lying or slandering.
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  Speaker 1: All a man says may be as true as the Bible,
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  Speaker 1: and yet the saying of it is evil speaking. For
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  Speaker 1: evil speaking is neither more nor less than speaking evil
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  Speaker 1: of an absent person, relating something evil which was really
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  Speaker 1: done or said by one that is not present. When
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  Speaker 1: it is related suppose, having seen a man drunk, or
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  Speaker 1: heard him curse or swear, I tell this when he
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  Speaker 1: is absent. It is evil speaking in our language. This
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  Speaker 1: is also by an extremely proper name, termed backbiting. Nor
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  Speaker 1: is there any material difference between this and what we
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  Speaker 1: usually style tale bearing. If the tale be delivered in
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  Speaker 1: a soft and quiet manner, perhaps with expressions of goodwill
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  Speaker 1: to the person, and of hope that things may not
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  Speaker 1: be quite so bad, then we call it whispering. But
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  Speaker 1: in whatever manner it be done, the thing is the same,
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  Speaker 1: the same in substance. If not in circumstance, still it
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  Speaker 1: is evil speaking. Still this command speak evil of No
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  Speaker 1: man is trampled underfoot if we relate to another the
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  Speaker 1: fault of a third person when he is not present
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  Speaker 1: to answer for himself. Two And how extremely common is
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  Speaker 1: this sin among all orders and degrees of men? How
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  Speaker 1: do high and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish,
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  Speaker 1: learned and unlearned run into it continually? Persons who differ
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  Speaker 1: from each other in all things else nevertheless agree in this.
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  Speaker 1: How few are there can testify before God? I am
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  Speaker 1: clear in this manner. I have always set a watch
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  Speaker 1: before my mouth, and kept the door of my lips.
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  Speaker 1: What conversation do you hear of any considerable length whereof
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  Speaker 1: evil speaking is not one ingredient, And that even among
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  Speaker 1: persons who in the general have the fear of God
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  Speaker 1: before their eyes, and do really desire to have a
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  Speaker 1: conscious void of offense toward God and toward man. Three.
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  Speaker 1: And the very commonness of this sin makes it difficult
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  Speaker 1: to be avoided, as we are encompassed with it on
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  Speaker 1: every side. So if we are not deeply sensible of
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  Speaker 1: the danger and continually guarding against it, we are liable
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  Speaker 1: to be carried away by the torrent. In this instance,
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  Speaker 1: almost the whole of mankind is, as it were, against us,
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  Speaker 1: and their example steals upon us. We know not, how
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  Speaker 1: so that we insensibly slide into the imitation of it. Besides,
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  Speaker 1: it is recommended from within as well as from without.
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  Speaker 1: There is scarce any wrong temper in the mind of
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  Speaker 1: man which may not be occasionally gratified by it, and
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  Speaker 1: consequently incline us to it. It gratifies our pride to
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  Speaker 1: relate those faults of others, whereof we think ourselves not
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  Speaker 1: to be guilty anger, resentment, and all unkind tempers are
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  Speaker 1: indulged by speaking against those with whom we are displeased,
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  Speaker 1: and in many cases, by reciting the sins of their neighbors,
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  Speaker 1: men indulge their own foolish and hurtful desires. Poor evil
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  Speaker 1: speaking is the more difficult to be avoided, because it
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  Speaker 1: frequently attacks us in disguise. We speak thus out of
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  Speaker 1: a noble generous It is well if we do not
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  Speaker 1: say holy indignation against these vile creatures. We commit sin
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  Speaker 1: from mere hatred of sin. We serve the devil out
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  Speaker 1: of pure zeal for God. It is merely in order
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  Speaker 1: to punish the wicked that we run into this wickedness.
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  Speaker 1: So do the passions. As one speaks, all justify themselves
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  Speaker 1: and palm sin upon us under the veil of holiness. Five.
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  Speaker 1: But is there no way to avoid the snare? Unquestionably
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  Speaker 1: there is. Our blessed Lord has marked out a plain
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  Speaker 1: way for his followers in the words above recite. None
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  Speaker 1: who wearily and steadily walk in this path will ever
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  Speaker 1: fall into evil speaking. This rule is either an infallible
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  Speaker 1: preventive or a certain cure of it. In the preceding verses,
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  Speaker 1: our Lord had said, woe to the world because of offenses,
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  Speaker 1: unspeakable misery will arise in the world from this baleful fountain.
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  Speaker 1: Offenses are all things whereby anyone is turned out of
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  Speaker 1: or hindered in the ways of God. For it must
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  Speaker 1: be that offenses come such as the nature of things,
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  Speaker 1: such the wickedness, folly, and weakness of mankind. But woe
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  Speaker 1: to that man. Miserable is that man by whom the
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  Speaker 1: offense cometh. Wherefore, if thy hand, thy foot, thine eye
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  Speaker 1: cause THEE to offend, If the most dear enjoyment, the
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  Speaker 1: most beloved and useful person, turn THEE out of, or
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  Speaker 1: hinder THEE in the way, pluck it out, cut them off,
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  Speaker 1: and cast them from thee. But how can we avoid
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  Speaker 1: giving offense to some and being offended at others? He
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  Speaker 1: especially suppose they are quite in the wrong, and we
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  Speaker 1: see it with our own eyes. Our Lord here teaches
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  Speaker 1: us how he lays down a sure method of avoiding
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  Speaker 1: offenses and evil. Speaking together, If thy brother shall sin
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  Speaker 1: against THEE, go and tell him of his fault, between
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  Speaker 1: THEE and him alone. If he will hear THEE, thou
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  Speaker 1: hast gained, thy brother. If he will not hear THEE,
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  Speaker 1: take with THEE one or two more, that by the
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  Speaker 1: mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
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  Speaker 1: And if he will not hear them, tell it to
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  Speaker 1: the Church. But if ye will not hear the Church,
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  Speaker 1: let him be to THEE as unheathen man and a
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  Speaker 1: publican Roman numeral one one. First, if thy brother shall
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  Speaker 1: sin against THEE, go and tell him of his fault
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  Speaker 1: between THEE and him alone. The most literal way of
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  Speaker 1: following this first rule, where it is practicable, is the best. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: if thou seest with thine own eyes a brother, a
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  Speaker 1: fellow Christian commit undeniable sin, or hearest it with thine
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  Speaker 1: own ears, so that it is impossible for THEE to
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  Speaker 1: doubt the fact, then thy part is plain. Take the
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  Speaker 1: very first opportunity of going to him, and if thou
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  Speaker 1: canst have access, tell him of his fault between THEE
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  Speaker 1: and him alone. Indeed, great care is to be taken
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  Speaker 1: that this is done in a right spirit and in
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  Speaker 1: a right manner. The success of a reproof greatly depends
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  Speaker 1: upon the spirit wherein it is given. Be not therefore,
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  Speaker 1: wanting in earnest prayer to God that it may be
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  Speaker 1: given in a lowly spirit, with a deep piercing conviction,
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  Speaker 1: that it is God alone who maketh thee to differ,
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  Speaker 1: and that if any good be done by what is
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  Speaker 1: now spoken, God doeth it himself. Pray that He would
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  Speaker 1: guard thy heart, enlighten thy mind, and direct thy tongue
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  Speaker 1: to such words as he may please to bless. See
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  Speaker 1: that thou speak in a meek as well as a
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  Speaker 1: lowly spirit, for the wrath of man worketh not the
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  Speaker 1: righteousness of God. If he be overtaken in a fault,
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  Speaker 1: he can no otherwise be restored than in the spirit
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  Speaker 1: of meekness. If he opposes the truth, yet he cannot
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  Speaker 1: be brought to the knowledge thereof. But by gentleness still
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  Speaker 1: speak in a spirit of tender love, which many waters
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  Speaker 1: cannot quench. If love is not coquered, it conquers all things.
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  Speaker 1: Who can tell the force of love. Love can bow
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  Speaker 1: down the stubborn neck, the stone to flesh, convert, soften
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  Speaker 1: and melt, and pierce and break an adamantine heart. Confirm
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  Speaker 1: them your love toward him, and you will thereby heap
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  Speaker 1: coals of fire upon his head. Two. But see that
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  Speaker 1: the manner also wherein you speak, be according to the
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  Speaker 1: Gospel of Christ. Avoid everything in look, gesture, word, and
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  Speaker 1: tone of voice that savors of pride or self sufficiency.
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  Speaker 1: Studiously avoid everything magisterial or dogmatical, everything that looks like
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  Speaker 1: arrogance or assuming. Beware the most distant approach to disdain, overbearing,
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  Speaker 1: or contempt. With equal care, avoid all appearance of anger.
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  Speaker 1: And though you use great plainness of speech, yet let
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  Speaker 1: there be no reproach, no railing accusation, no token of
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  Speaker 1: any warmth, but that of love. Above all. Let there
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  Speaker 1: be no shadow of hate or ill will, no bitterness
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  Speaker 1: or sourness of expression. But use the air and language
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  Speaker 1: of sweetness as well as gentleness, that all may appear
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  Speaker 1: to flow from love in the heart. And yet this
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  Speaker 1: sweetness need not hinder your speaking in the most serious
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  Speaker 1: and solemn manner, as far as may be in the
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  Speaker 1: very words of the oracles of God, where there are
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  Speaker 1: none like them, and as under the eye of Him
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  Speaker 1: who is coming to judge the quick and dead. Three,
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  Speaker 1: if you have not an opportunity of speaking to him
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  Speaker 1: in person, or cannot have access, you may do it
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  Speaker 1: by a messenger, by a common friend, in whose prudence
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  Speaker 1: as well as uprightness, you can thoroughly confide. Such a
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  Speaker 1: person speaking in your name and in the spirited manner
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  Speaker 1: above described, may answer the same end, and in a
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  Speaker 1: good degree supply your lack of service. Only beware you
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  Speaker 1: do not feign the want of opportunity in order to
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  Speaker 1: shun the cross. Neither take it for granted that you
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  Speaker 1: cannot have access without ever making the trial. Whenever you
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  Speaker 1: can speak in your own person, it is far better.
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  Speaker 1: But you should rather do it by another than not
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  Speaker 1: at all. This way is better than none. Four. But
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  Speaker 1: what if you can neither speak yourself nor find such
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  Speaker 1: a messenger as you can confide in. If this is
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  Speaker 1: really the case, it then only remains to write. And
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  Speaker 1: there may be some circumstances which make this the most
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  Speaker 1: advisable way of speaking. One of these circumstances is when
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  Speaker 1: the person with whom we have to do is of
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  Speaker 1: so warm and impetuous a temper as does not easily
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  Speaker 1: bear reproof, especially from an equal or inferior. But it
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  Speaker 1: may be so introduced and softened in writing as to
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  Speaker 1: make it far more tolerable. Besides, many will read the
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  Speaker 1: very same words which they could not bear to hear.
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  Speaker 1: It does not give so violent a shock to their pride,
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  Speaker 1: nor so sensibly touch their honor, and suppose it makes
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  Speaker 1: little impression at first, they will perhaps give it a
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  Speaker 1: second reading, and upon further consideration, lay to heart what
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  Speaker 1: before they disregarded. If you add your name, this is
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  Speaker 1: nearly the same thing as going to him and speaking
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  Speaker 1: in person, And this should always be done, unless it
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  Speaker 1: be rendered improper by some very particular reason. Five. It
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  Speaker 1: should be well observed not only that this is a
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  Speaker 1: step which our Lord absolutely commands us to take, but
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  Speaker 1: that he commands us to take this step first before
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  Speaker 1: we attempt any other. No alternative is allowed, no choice
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  Speaker 1: of anything else. This is the way walk thou in it.
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  Speaker 1: It is true he enjoins us if need require to
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  Speaker 1: take two other steps, but they are to be taken
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  Speaker 1: successively after this step, and neither of them before it.
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  Speaker 1: Much less are we to take any other step either
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  Speaker 1: before or beside this. To do anything else, or not
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  Speaker 1: to do this is therefore equally inexcusable. Six. Do not
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  Speaker 1: think to excuse yourself for taking an entirely different step
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  Speaker 1: by saying, why I did not speak to anyone until
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  Speaker 1: I was so burdened that I could not refrain you
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  Speaker 1: was burdened. It is no wonder you should unless your
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  Speaker 1: conscience was seared, for you was under the guilt of
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  Speaker 1: sin of disobeying a playing a mondment of God. You
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  Speaker 1: ought immediately to have gone and told your brother of
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  Speaker 1: his fault between you and him alone. If you did not,
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  Speaker 1: How should you be other than burdened unless your heart
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  Speaker 1: was utterly hardened while you was trampling the command of
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  Speaker 1: God underfoot and hating your brother in your heart. And
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  Speaker 1: what a way have you found to unburden yourself. God
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  Speaker 1: reproves you for a sin of omission for not telling
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  Speaker 1: your brother of his fault, and you comfort yourself under
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  Speaker 1: his reproof by a sin of commission by telling your
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  Speaker 1: brother's fault to another person. Ease bought by sin is
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  Speaker 1: a dear purchase. I trust in God you will have
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  Speaker 1: no ease, but will be burdened so much the more
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  Speaker 1: till you go to your brother and tell him, and
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  Speaker 1: no one else I know but of one exception to
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  Speaker 1: this rule. There may be a peculiar case wherein it
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  Speaker 1: is necessary to accuse the guilty though absence in order
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  Speaker 1: to preserve the innocence. For instance, you are acquainted with
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  Speaker 1: the design which a man has against the property or
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  Speaker 1: life of his neighbor. Now the case may be so
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  Speaker 1: circumstanced that there is no other way of hindering that
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  Speaker 1: design from taking effect, but the making it known without
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  Speaker 1: delay to him against whom it is laid. In this case,
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  Speaker 1: Therefore this rule is set aside as is that of
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  Speaker 1: the apostle. Speak evil of no man, and it is lawful. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: it is our bound in duty to speak evil of
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  Speaker 1: an absent person in order to prevent his doing evil
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  Speaker 1: to others and himself at the same time. But remember meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: that all evil speaking is in its own nature deadly poison. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: if you are sometimes constrained to use it as a medicine,
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  Speaker 1: yet use it with fear and trembling, Seeing it is
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  Speaker 1: so dangerous a medicine that nothing but absolute necessity can
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  Speaker 1: excuse your using it at all. Accordingly, use it as
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  Speaker 1: seldom as possible, never, but when there is such a necessity,
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  Speaker 1: and even then use as little of it as is possible,
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  Speaker 1: only so much as is necessary for the end proposed.
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  Speaker 1: At all other times, go and tell him of his
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  Speaker 1: faults between the and him alone Roman numeral two one.
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  Speaker 1: But what if he will not hear? If he repay
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  Speaker 1: evil for good if he be enraged rather than convinced.
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  Speaker 1: What if he here to no purpose and go on
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  Speaker 1: still in the evil of his way. We must expect
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  Speaker 1: this will frequently be the case. The mildest and tenderest
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  Speaker 1: reproof will have no effect, but the blessing we wished
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  Speaker 1: for another will return into our own bosom. And what
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  Speaker 1: are we to do? Then, Our Lord has given us
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  Speaker 1: a clear and full direction. Then take with thee one
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  Speaker 1: or two more. This is the second step. Take one
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  Speaker 1: or two whom you know to be of a loving spirit,
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  Speaker 1: lovers of God and of their neighbor. See likewise that
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  Speaker 1: they be of a lowly spirit and clothed with humility.
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  Speaker 1: Let them also be such as are meek and gentle,
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  Speaker 1: patient among suffering, not apt to return evil for evil
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  Speaker 1: or race for railing, but contrariwise blessing. Let them be
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  Speaker 1: men of understanding, such as are endued with wisdom from above,
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  Speaker 1: and men unbiased, free from partiality, free from prejudice of
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  Speaker 1: any kind. Care should likewise be taken that both the
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  Speaker 1: persons and their characters be well known to him, and
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  Speaker 1: let those that are acceptable to him be chosen preferable
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  Speaker 1: to any others. Two love will dictate the manner wherein
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  Speaker 1: they should proceed, according to the nature of the case.
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  Speaker 1: Nor can anyone particular manner be prescribed for all cases.
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  Speaker 1: But perhaps in general one might advise, before they enter
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  Speaker 1: upon the thing itself, let them mildly and affectionately declare
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  Speaker 1: that they have no anger or prejudice toward him, and
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  Speaker 1: that it is merely from a principle of good will
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  Speaker 1: that they now come or at all concern themselves with
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  Speaker 1: his affairs. To make this the more apparent, they might
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  Speaker 1: then calmly attend to your repetition of your former conversation
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  Speaker 1: with him, and to what he said in his own defense,
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  Speaker 1: before they attempted to determine anything. After this, they would
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  Speaker 1: be better able to judge in what manner to proceed, that,
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  Speaker 1: by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word
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  Speaker 1: might be established that whatever you have said may have
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  Speaker 1: its full force by the additional weight of their authority. Three.
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  Speaker 1: In order to do this, may they not one briefly
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  Speaker 1: repeat what you spoke and what he answered, Two enlarge
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  Speaker 1: upon open and confirm the reasons which you had given.
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  Speaker 1: Three give weight to your reproof, showing how just, how
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  Speaker 1: kind and how seasonable it was, and lastly enforced the
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  Speaker 1: advices and persuasions which you had addex to it. And
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  Speaker 1: these may likewise hereafter, if need should require, bear witness
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  Speaker 1: of what was spoken. Four. With regard to this, as
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  Speaker 1: well as the preceding rule, we may observe that our
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  Speaker 1: Lord gives us no choice, leaves us no alternative, but
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  Speaker 1: expressly commands us to do this and nothing else in
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  Speaker 1: the place of it. He likewise directs us when to
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  Speaker 1: do this, neither sooner nor later, namely, after we have
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  Speaker 1: taken the first and before we have taken the third step.
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  Speaker 1: It is then only that we are authorized to relate
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  Speaker 1: the evil another has done to those whom we desire
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  Speaker 1: to bear a part with us in the great instance
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  Speaker 1: of brotherly love. But let us have a care how
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  Speaker 1: we relate it to any other person till both these
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  Speaker 1: steps have been taken. If we neglect to take these,
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  Speaker 1: or if we take any others, what wonder if we
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  Speaker 1: are burdened still? For we are sinners against God and
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  Speaker 1: against our neighbor. And how fairly soever we may color it, Yet,
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  Speaker 1: if we have any conscience, our sin will find us
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  Speaker 1: out and bring a burden upon our soul. Roman Numeral
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  Speaker 1: three one, that we may be thoroughly instructed in this
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  Speaker 1: waighty affair. Our Lord has given us a still farther direction.
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  Speaker 1: If you will not hear them, then, and not till
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  Speaker 1: then tell it to the Church. This is the third step.
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  Speaker 1: All the question is how this word the church is
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  Speaker 1: here to be understood. But the very nature of the
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  Speaker 1: thing will determine this beyond all reasonable doubt. You cannot
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  Speaker 1: tell it to the National Church, the whole body of
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  Speaker 1: men termed the Church of England. Neither would it answer
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  Speaker 1: any Christian end if you could. This therefore is not
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  Speaker 1: the meaning of the word. Neither can you tell it
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  Speaker 1: to that whole body of people in England, with whom
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  Speaker 1: you have a more immediate connection, Nor indeed would this
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  Speaker 1: answer any good end. The word therefore is not to
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  Speaker 1: be understood. Thus it would not answer any valuable end
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  Speaker 1: to tell the faults of every particular member to the church,
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  Speaker 1: if you would so term it the congregation or society
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  Speaker 1: united together in London. It remains that you tell it
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  Speaker 1: to the elder or elders of the Church, to those
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  Speaker 1: who are over seers of that flock of Christ to
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  Speaker 1: which you both belong, who watch over yours and his soul,
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  Speaker 1: as they that must give account. And this should be
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: done if it conveniently can, in the presence of the
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: person concerned. And though plainly yet with all the tenderness
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: and love which the nature of the thing will admit,
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: it properly belongs to their office to determine concerning the
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: behavior of those under their care, and to rebuke according
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: to the demerit of the offense, with all authority. When
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: therefore you have done this, you have done all which
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: the Word of God or the law of Love requireth
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: of you. You are not now partaker of his sin.
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: But if he perish, his blood is on his own head. Two.
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: Here also let it be observed that this and no other,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: is the third step which we are to take, and
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: that we are to take it in its order after
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: the other two, not before the second, much less the first,
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: unless in some very particular circumstance. Indeed, in one case
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: the second step may coincide with this. They may be
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: in a manner one and the same. The elder or
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: elders of the church may be so connected with the
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: offending brother that they may set aside the necessity and
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: supply the place of the one or two witnesses, so
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: that it may suffice to tell it to them after
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: you have told it to your brother, between you and
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: him alone. Three. When you have done this, you have
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: delivered your own soul. If you will not hear the church.
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: If he persists in his sin, let him be to
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: thee as unheathen man and a publican. You are under
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: no obligation to think of him anymore. Only when you
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: commend him to God in prayer. You need not speak
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: of him anymore, but leave him to his own master. Indeed,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: you still owe to him, and as to all other heathens, earnest,
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: tender good will, you owe him courtesy, and as occasion
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: offers all the offices of humanity, But have no friendship,
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: no familiarity with him, no other intercourse than with an
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: open heathen. Four. But if this be the rule by
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: which Christians walk, which is the land where Christians live?
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: A few you may possibly find, scattered up and down,
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: who make a conscience of observing it. But how very few,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: how thinley scattered upon the face of the earth. And
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: where is there any body of men that universally walk thereby?
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: Can we find them? In Europe? Or to go? No
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: farther in Great Britain or Ireland. I fear not. I
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: fear we may search these kingdoms throughout, and yet search
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: in vain alas for the Christian world, alas for Protestants,
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: for reformed Christians. Oh, who will rise up with me
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: against the wicked? Who will take God's part against the
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: evil speakers? Art thou the man, by the grace of God?
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: Wilt thou be one who art not carried away by
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: the torrents? Art thou fully determined God, being thy helper,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: from this very hour to set a watch. They continue
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: a watch before thy mouth, and keep the door of
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: thy lips. From this hour, wilt thou walk by this rule,
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: speaking evil of no man. If thou seest thy brother
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: do evil, wilt thou tell him of his fault between
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: thee and him alone, afterwards, take one or two witnesses,
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: and then only tell it to the church. If this
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: be the full purpose of thy heart, then learn one
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: lesson well. Hear evil of no man. If there were
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: no hearers, there would be no speakers of evil. And
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: is not, according to the vulgar proverb, the receiver as
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: bad as the thief. If then any begin to speak
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: evil in thy hearing check him immediately refuse to hear
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: the voice of the charmer charm. He never so sweetly
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: let him use, ever so oft a manner, so mild
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: an accent, ever so many professions of good will for
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: him whom he is stabbing in the dark, whom he
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: smiteth under the fifth rib. Resolutely refuse to hear, though
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: the whisperer complain of being burdened, till he speaks burdened,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: Thou fool dost thou travail with thy cursed secret as
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: a woman travaileth with child. Go then, and be delivered
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: of thy burden in the way the Lord hath ordained. First,
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: go and tell thy brother of his fault between THEE
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: and him alone. Next, take with THEE one or two
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: common friends, and tell him in their presence. If neither
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: of these steps take effect, then tell it to the church.
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: But at the peril of thy soul, tell it to
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: no one else, either before or after, unless in that
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: one exempt case, when it is absolutely needful to preserve
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: the innocence. Why shouldst thou burden another as well as
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: thyself by making him partaker of thy sin? Fine, Oh
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: that all you who bear the reproach of Christ are
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: in derision. Called methodist, would set an example to the
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: Christian world so called, at least in this one instance,
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: put ye away evil, speaking, tale bearing whispering. Let none
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: of them proceed out of your mouth. See that you
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: speak evil of no man, of the absence, nothing but good.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: If ye must be distinguished, whether ye will or no,
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: let this be the disinguishing mark of a methodist. He
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: censures no man behind his back. By this fruit, ye
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: may know him. What a blessed effect of this self
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: denial should we quickly feel in our hearts. How would
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: our peace flow as a river when we thus followed
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: peace with all men? How would the love of God
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: abound in our own souls while we thus confirmed our
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: love to our brethren? And what an effect would it
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: have on all that were united together in the name
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: of the Lord Jesus. How would brotherly love continually increase
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: when this grand hindrance of it was removed? All the
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: members of Christ's mystical body would then naturally care for
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: each other. If one member suffered, all would suffer with it.
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: If one was honored, all would rejoice with it, and
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: everyone would love his brother with a pure heart fervently.
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: Nor is this all? But what an effect might this
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: have even on the wild, unthinking world. How soon would
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: they descry in us what they could not find among
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: all the thousands of their brethren, and cry, as Julian
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: the Apostate to his heathen courtiers, see how these Christians
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: love one another. By this? Chiefly would God convince the
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: world and prepare them also for his kingdom. As we
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: may easily learn from those remarkable words in our Lord's
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: last solemn prayer, I pray for them who will believe
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: in me, that they may be one, as Thou Father
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: art in me, and I in thee, that the world
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: may believe that Thou hast sent me John seventeen twenty one.
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: The Lord hastened the time. The Lord enable us thus
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: to love one another, not only in word and in tongue,
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: but in deed and in truth, even as Christ hath
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: lov'd us. End of section fifty