which I would endeavour to administer some physic to from these words.

The coherence is plain. David proposeth a question: "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" (Psalm xv. 1.) By which you may understand either Sion, where the ark then was, or Moriah, where the temple was to be built; and by either of them, the church of God here, and especially the heavenly temple hereafter.

So that it is as if David had said, and asked, "What is the qualification of the true members of God's church, of the citizens of the New Jerusalem? By what properties are they known and distinguished from other men?" To this, David doth not answer, that they are so differenced by their high talks, by their crying-out upon the sins of other men, or the wickedness of the times, by their frequent attendance at God's tabernacle; but by the uprightness of their hearts, by the good government of their tongues, by the holiness of their lives: "He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." (Verse 2.) And in this third verse that I have now read: "He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour." It is the last clause which I intend to speak to, because it will comprehend the former: "Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour." The words I shall explain in the handling of the doctrine, which is this:

DOCTRINE..

It is the duty, and must be the care, of every true Christian, not to take up a reproach against his neighbour.

I shall first explain the point, then prove it, and lastly apply it. I. For EXPLANATION, three things are to be inquired into :— QUESTION I. "Who is my neighbour?"-There are some men of name in the world that will tell you, that, "in the language of the Old Testament, by neighbour' is to be understood one of the same country and religion,' popularis Israelita;" and it is the peculiarity of the gospel, that every man is made my neighbour. But if we examine scripture, we shall find this to be a gross mistake. I need not go farther for the confutation of it than to the Decalogue itself: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." (Exod. xx. 16.) I suppose it will seem a very hard saying to affirm, that it is lawful to bear false witness against a stranger. So when God commands, "Thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife," (Lev. xviii. 20,) I presume these gentlemen would not allow themselves that liberty with the wife of a stranger. If God may be his own interpreter, this controversy will quickly be ended from Lev. xix., where, if you compare two verses,— verse 18, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," with verse 34, "But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; "-you will not need the help of an artist to form this conclusion, that "the stranger is, in God's account, and ought to be in mine account, my neighbour." To the same purpose you may please to compare two other places of scripture together Deut. xxii. 4, "Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass nor his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely

help him to lift them up again;" with Exod. xxiii. 4, 5: "If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, thou shalt help with him." He who is my "brother," which is nearer than a neighbour, in the one place, is mine "enemy," and he that "hateth me" in another place. And it is further observable to this end, that the Hebrew word y and the Greek wλŋolov, a "neighbour," is usually rendered in scripture by repos, "another; " as: "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law, for the law saith, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Rom. xiii. 8, 9.) Most true therefore is that of St. Augustine, Proximus est omnis homo homini, Every man is a neighbour to any other man.' Nay, the more intelligent part of the Jews were of this opinion; and Kimchi upon these words saith, "He is called my neighbour with whom I have any business." And the scribe, of whom we read, Luke x., knowing the mistakes of many of his brethren, asks our Saviour this question, "Who is my neighbour?" (Verse 29.) And our Saviour gives him an answer, the sum of which is this, that even the Samaritan was to be looked upon as his "neighbour."

QUESTION II. "What is a reproach?"

I answer, in general,

1. It is nothing else but an evil report, or an evil speech, unduly uttered concerning another. Now a report is evil two ways:—

(1.) When it is evil in itself, a false report.-When a man belies his neighbour, and bears false witness against him, either in judicial proceedings, or in common conversation. These kinds of evil reports David was exercised with: "False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not." (Psalm xxxv. 11.)

(2.) When it is evil to a man's neighbour, when your speech tends to your neighbour's disparagement and defamation. And here I must inform you, that a man may be guilty of reproaching men by commendations, as David speaks of his enemy: "His words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords." (Psalm lv. 21.) It is the usual practice of some men to smooth the way to a reproach by a commendation, and to raise a man's reputation, that he may tumble it down with more advantage.

2. When a man publisheth a neighbour's secret infirmities or sins.— This all casuists allow to be a kind of detraction: and good reason; for though the matter may be true and good, yet the principle from whence this proceeds is evil. It proceeds from want of love to my neighbour, and of the just care that I ought to have of his credit; and the ends, either of speaker, or of the speech in its own nature, or of both, are evil, -even to bring his neighbour into contempt or disgrace.

3. When a man aggravates the real or supposed faults of his neighbour either in opinion or in practice.—Certainly the professors of this age, and this city, are deeply guilty in both these respects.

(1.) In aggravating other men's real or supposed errors and mistakes. -Often-times men call that an error through their own ignorance or prejudicate opinion, which, in the judgment of far wiser and better men than themselves, and in reality, is a precious truth of God; and the par

donable mistakes of their neighbour they decry as fundamental and damnable errors, or at least as errors dangerous to salvation. I am far from pleading for errors that are really damnable, or highly dangerous, such as those of the Papists, Socinians, Quakers, and the like; but there are other and lesser differences among Protestants, who, "holding the Head," as the apostle speaks, differ in doctrines of less moment, or in the methods and modes of worship, in rites and ceremonies, which possibly one man thinks to be necessary, another to be lawful and indifferent, another sinful; and by these differing opinions it is lamentable to consider, and, I confess, I cannot think of it without horror and loathing, how Protestants traduce and defame one another. The one is "superstitious, idolatrous, a formalist, a profane person, and one that hath no sense of religion." The other is an "heretic, a schismatic, a fanatic, a licentious, lawless person, that follows his own sensuality, and hath not the fear of God before his eyes." Thus they mutually rail at one another, as if they had neither sense nor conscience. Nay, the disease is grown to that height, that, not content to censure men's opinions, they will also judge of their consciences and secret intentions, as if they maintained such doctrines against the light of their own consciences; a censure which proceeds from deep ignorance of the merits of the cause. It were, I confess, a very desirable thing that all men were of one mind; and Christians indeed are to labour for it, and to pray for it: "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Cor. i. 10.) But if a man consider the great weakness of most men's understandings, the infinite variety of their parts and apprehensions, educations, inclinations, interests, or what the scripture hath foretold, "There must be heresies, that they which are approved may be made manifest," (1 Cor. xi. 19,) I think he will conclude, that he who shall expect this absolute harmony and uniformity in this world must either dream or dote. And therefore the Holy Ghost hath directed us what to do in case of such differences of judgment; to wit, to talk charitably toward those that differ from us : "If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably;" (Rom. xiv. 15;) and to agree with others as far as we can: "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Notwithstanding whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." (Phil. iii. 15, 16.) But for those mutual reproaches and censures one against another, I must take the boldness to charge you all, as you tender your salvation, to have a care of them; for though these points wherein you differ be disputable, yet this is out of all dispute, that you ought to "love your neighbour as yourself," and that you ought not "to take up a reproach against your neighbour." And therefore take heed, lest while you condemn another man for disputable and lesser errors, you do not run into an indisputable crime and fundamental miscarriage.

(2.) Men are guilty of reproaching their neighbours by aggravating their errors in practice and conversation.-When men censure and reproach others for things indifferent and of small moment: as, for

example, in their habits and garbs. I am not ignorant that there are great miscarriages in men's habits, and that the bush that hangs at the door doth frequently discover what is within, and tell the pride of men's hearts; and there are certain bounds and limits to be observed, that men's habits be agreeable to their quality, estate, calling, and condition in the world but yet there is a just latitude in these things; the lawfulness of them doth not consist in a mathematical point; these are to be regulated by the custom of times and places. Now if a man see another that doth a little vary from his fancy or practice, whose garb is a little more ornamental than his, though not much extravagant; if now he judgeth the state of this man, and concludes him to be a profane or carnal person, this is a "reproach." So, again, when a man commits some miscarriage towards his neighbour through carelessness, or forgetfulness, or mistake, it is a common thing for men to charge it as a malicious design, intended for their hurt: this is a reproach." And you may easily multiply instances in your own thoughts.

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QUESTION III, "What is it to take-up a reproach against a man's neighbour?"

I answer: It is a defective manner of expression, and therefore is diversely supplied; but especially and most reasonably two ways: and, accordingly, a man may be guilty of taking-up a reproach against his neighbour two ways:—

1. When he takes it up into his mouth.-The Hebrew word is often so used; as Exod. xx. 7: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." Not take it; that is, not lift it up upon thy tongue, or not take it into thy mouth. So, Isai. xiv. 4: "Thou shalt take-up this proverb against the king of Babylon; " that is, Thou shalt take it up into thy lips, thou shalt utter and publish it. Thus, Ezek. xxvi. 17: "They shall take-up a lamentation for thee;" which is explained in the following words: "And say to thee, How art thou destroyed!" And therefore, elsewhere, the word "lips" or "mouth" is added; as Psalm xvi. 4: "Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips." Psalm 1. 16: "What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? And this phrase of taking-up may possibly respect the situation of the mouth above the heart; which, according to the opinion of the Hebrews, is the seat of the understanding. As if he had said: "If there should rise in thy heart an evil thought or device against thy brother, let it die there; let it never come up into thy mouth." Now, in this respect, a man may be guilty of this sin of taking-up a reproach against his neighbour two ways:—

(1.) When he is the author and first raiser of a reproach.-Such as Sanballat was: "There are no such things as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thy own heart." (Neh. vi. 8.)

(2.) When a man is the spreader or promoter of it.-Suppose it comes from another fountain, if thou art the conduit-pipe by whom it is conveyed to others, thou art guilty of it. "Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people." (Lev. xix. 16.)

2. When a man takes it into his ear.-So some expound these words: "Thou shalt not receive, not admit, not endure, a reproach against thy

neighbour." You know, the receiver of stolen goods is as obnoxions to the law as he that takes them away: so then a man may be guilty of this sin, not only by speaking, but also by the hearing of a reproach against his neighbour; and so he may be three ways:

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(1.) When a man quietly permits it, and gives no check to it.-This is certain, the great law of charity commands me not only to do no hurt to my neighbour, but also to suffer no hurt to be done to him which it lies in my power to prevent or remove. If another set his house on fire, I must lend my help to quench it; I must pull my neighbour's ox out of the pit, though another man hath cast him in; and, consequently, when the good name of my neighbour is invaded by another, if I patiently bear the reproach, I make myself guilty.

(2.) When a man hears a reproach against his neighbour greedily, and with delight. It is a sin, and that of no small size, for a man to take pleasure in the sins of others; and therefore the apostle makes it an aggravation of sin: "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Rom. i. 32.) "Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." (1 Cor. xiii. 4, 6.) Consider, I beseech you, the commonness of this sin. If a reproach be fastened upon one who is a man's enemy, or of another party, men commonly hear such reproaches with delight; not considering that this is not only a blemish to his own party, but also a blot to Christianity, a reproach to the Protestant religion, a sin against God and against the gospel, a scandal to men; and these things should rather call for tears, than laughter and approbation. And therefore, when a man seems to approve another man's reproach, and encourage the reproacher, he involves himself in the guilt of it. It is the saying of a very learned man upon the Proverbs, that "it is not easy to know whether is a greater sinner, or whether is the greater plague to a commonwealth,— he that spreads a reproach, or he that willingly receives it."

(3.) When a man easily believes a reproach. It is said indeed, "Charity believeth all things;" (1 Cor. xiii. 4, 7 ;) but the object of this belief is the good of my neighbour, and not his evil. Charity readily believes well concerning its neighbour, where there is the least colour or foundation for it; but it is slow to believe evil concerning him; and when a man is prone to believe evil concerning another man, it is a great sign of an uncharitable disposition: the reason is, because men do most readily believe those things which comply with their own desires and inclinations; as, in wars and differing factions, every man is apt to believe good tidings concerning his own party. Good men are the least suspicious, and slowest to believe evil of others; of which you have a remarkable instance in Gedaliah: when Johanan told him of Ishmael's design to murder him, it is said, he "believed him not." (Jer. xl. 14.) And when it was pressed upon him a second time, and Johanan offered to punish the conspirator, and to prevent the execution of the treason, he said, "Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely concerning Ishmael." (Verse 16.)

You may observe how backward fond parents are to believe any ill report concerning their children: and whence doth this proceed? Even