Tenderness required in ministers toward young beginners

DIVINES had need to take heed therefore how they deal with these in divers particulars : as first let them be careful they strain not things too high, making those general and necessary evidences of grace, which agree not to the experience of many a good Christian, and lay salvation and damnation upon those things that are not fit to bear so great a weight, whereupon men are groundlessly cast down lower by them, than they can hastily be raised up again by themselves or others. The ambassadors of so gentle -a Saviour should not be over-masterly, setting up themselves in the hearts of people where Christ alone should sit as in his own temple. Too much respect to man was one of the inlets of popery; let a man account of us as of the ministers of Christ, 1 Cor. iv. 1, neither more nor less, just so much. How careful was St. Paul in cases of conscience not to lay a snare upon any weak conscience.

They should take heed likewise that they hide not their meaning in dark speeches, speaking in the clouds. Truth feareth nothing so much as concealment, and desireth nothing so much as clearly to be laid open to the view of all: when it is most naked, it is most lovely and powerful.

Our blessed Saviour as he took our nature upon him, so he took upon him our familiar manner of speech, ‘which was part of his voluntary abasement. St. Paul was a profound man, 1. Thes. ii. 7, yet became as a nurse to the weaker sort.

That spirit of mercy that was in Christ should move his servants to be content to abase themselves for the good of the meanest. What made the kingdom of heaven suffer violence, Mat. xi. 22, after John the Baptist’s time, but that comfortable truths were with that plainness and evidence laid open, that the people were so affected with them, as they offered a holy violence to them ?

Christ chose those to preach mercy, which had felt most mercy, as St. Peter, and St. Paul; that they might be examples of what they taught. St. Paul became all things to all men, 1 Cor. ix. 2, stooping - unto them for their good: Christ came down from Heaven, and emptied himself of Majesty in tender love to souls: shall we not come down from our high conceits to do any poor soul good? shall man be proud after God hath been humble? We see the ministers of Satan turn themselves into all shapes to make proselytes, Mat. xxiii. 15. A Jesuit will be every man. We see ambitious men study accommodation of themselves to the humours of those by whom they hope to be raised: and shall not we study application of ourselves to Christ by whom we hope to be advanced, nay, are already sitting with him in heavenly places? After we are gained to Christ ourselves, we should labour to gain others to Christ. Holy ambition and covetousness will move us to put upon ourselves the disposition of Christ ; but we must put off ourselves first.

We should not, thirdly, rack their wits with curious or doubtful disputes, Rom. xiv. 1; for so we shall distract and tire them, and give occasion to make them east off the care of all. That age of the church which was most fertile in nice questions, was most barren in religion : for it makes people think religion to be only a matter of wit, in tying and untying of knots; the brains of men given that way are hotter usually than their hearts.

Yet notwithstanding, when we are cast into times and places wherein doubts are raised about main points, here people ought to labour to be established. God suffereth questions oftentimes to arise for trial of our love and exercise of our parts. Nothing is so certain as that which is certain after doubts. Shaking settles and roots. In a contentious age, it is a witty thing to be a Christian, and to know what to pitch their souls upon; it is an office of love here to take away the stones, and to smooth the way to Heaven. Therefore we must take heed that under pretence of avoidance of disputes, we do not suffer an adverse party to get ground upon the truth: for thus may we easily betray both the truth of God and souls of men.

And likewise those are failing, that by overmuch austerity drive back troubled souls from having comfort by them; for by this carriage many smother their temptations, and burn inwardly, because they have none into whose bosom they may vent their grief and ease their souls.

We must neither bind where God looseth, nor loose where God bindeth, nor open where God shutteth, nor shut where God openeth; the right use of the keys is always successful. In personal application there must be great heed taken; for a man may be a false prophet, and yet speak the truth, if it be not a truth to the person to whom he speaketh; if he grieve those whom God hath not grieved, by unseasonable truths, or by comforts in an ill way, the hearts of the wicked may be strengthened. One man’s meat may be another’s bane.

If we look to the general temper of tags times, rousing and waking scriptures are fittest; yet there be many broken spirits need soft and oily words. Even in the worst time the prophets mingled sweet comfort for the hidden remnant of faithful people. God hath comfort, Comfort ye my people, Isa. xl. 1, as well as lift up thy voice as a trumpet, Isa. lviii. 1.

And here likewise there needs a caveat. Mercy doth not rob us of our right judgment, as that we should take stinking fire-brands for smoking flax. None will claim mercy more of others, than those whose portion is due severity. This example doth not countenance lukewarmness, nor too much indulgence to those that need quickening. Cold diseases must have hot remedies. It made for the just commendations of the church of Ephesus, that it could not bear with them which are evil, Rev. ii.2. We should so bear with others, as we discover withal a dislike of evil. Our Saviour Christ would not forbear sharp reproof, where he saw dangerous infirmities, in his most beloved disciples. It bringeth under a curse to do the work of the Lord negligently, Jer. xlviii. 10 ; even where it is a work of just severity ; as when it is sheathing the sword in the bowels of the enemy. And those whom we suffer to be betrayed by their worst enemies, their sins, will have just cause to curse us another day.

It is hard to preserve just bounds of mercy and severity, without a spirit above our own; which we ought to desire to be led withal in all things. That wisdom which dwelleth with prudence, Prov. viii. 12, will guide us in these particulars, without which virtue is not virtue, truth not truth; the rule and the case must be laid together; for if there be not a narrow insight, seeming likeness in conditions will be the breeder of errors in our opinions of them. Those fiery, tempestuous, and destructive spirits in popery, that seek to promote their religion by cruelty, shew that they are strangers to that wisdom which is from above, which maketh men gentle, peaceable, and ready to shew that mercy they have felt before themselves. It is a way of prevailing, as agreeable to Christ, so likewise to man’s nature, to prevail by some forbearance and moderation.

And yet oft we see a false spirit in those that call for moderation: it-is but to carry their own project with the greater strength; and if they prove of the prevailing hand, they will hardly shew that moderation to others they now call for from others. And there is a proud kind of moderation likewise, when men will take upon them to censure both parties, as if they were wiser than both, although if the spirit be right, a looker on may see more than those that are in conflict.