A FRIENDLY PERSWATION, AND Chriſtian Exhortation

OFten it hath been on my heart the Conſideration of the great Love of God who viſited me in my tender Youthful days, for then was I earneſtly ſeeking after the Knowledge of God and Life Eternal in ſolitary Places where I might be alone; there did I often Mourn, Cry, and Travel in the Bitterneſs and Anguiſh of my Soul; till he appeared who gives relief to the Oppreſſed and Needy: And bleſ­ſed be the God of Iſrael who took pity of me in my diſtreſſed ſtate, and did for the Cry of the Poor, and Sighing of the Needy, ariſe in an acceptable day to give my Soul relief from thoſe diſquietings and diſſatisfactions I was then under, while I was amongſt the Profeſſors of God in that day. Now ſince Gods bleſſed day hath dawned, and his Arm of Salvation hath reached unto me, I can ſay it hath been a great Care upon my Spirit to keep to that Sure Rock, Foundation, Habita­tion and quiet peacable Dwelling which he hath in ſome meaſure given me a poſ­ſeſſion of, and an Inheritance in that Eternal Life that is with the Father External, praiſe to his Name for ever.

Now Friends, the intent of this Paper is earneſtly to perſwade all, who profeſs the Truth, to keep out of thoſe very hurtful Evils of Strife, Debate, and Diviſion that are too commonly agravated and heightned, by letting in Jealouſie, Falſe Re­ports, Whiſpering and Backbiting. This I have ſeen with grief of Spirit in the light of the Lord hath been the means by which the Enemy, the evil Seeds-man, the Devil, the Common Enemy of mans temporal and eternal Good hath wrought to break that Sweet Unity and Heavenly Converſation amongſt Brethren: The Apoſtle Paul in the 1ſt Romans 29. had a ſight of theſe evils, and declares them as his Judgement, to be tokens of a deelining and reprobate mind: when they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind to do thoſe things which are not convenient, being filled with envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, Whiſpering and Backbiting.

1ſt. Whiſpering, Backbiting and Falſe Reports are the common Enemies of Ci­vil and Spiritual Society, it hath a Secret and Cloſe way of ſmiting in the dark, and goes about from one to another, and privately vents its ſlander, not with an intent to make it leſs publick: it's a Malitious Enemy, this way the Whiſperer hath to deli­ver falſe reports, that thereby he may make them the more believed and ſpoken of too for that perſon that receives a falſe report as a ſecret from one, thinks to pleaſe ſome body elſe by delivering it as a ſecret to others alſo; ſo it paſſes from one to a­nother till at laſt it ſpreads over City, Town, and Country. This thing, whoever thou art that is guilty herein, proves very injurious to thy Neighbour, therefore I earneſtly warn all to watch againſt this growing evil, for mark you, in more pub­lick Accuſations the perſon grieved may have remedies to clear himſelf, and detect his Adverſary: but here againſt the Whiſperer there is no poſſibility of that, becauſe the Whiſperer and Backbiter ſmites in the dark and we know not who it is, till at length his Whiſpers break out. Ah, the Tongue is a little Member, but doth much miſchief, and is uſed oftentimes as a ſword that wounds the reputation of innocent perſons by falſe reports, Solomon ſpeaks of it in 18 Proverbs, A Whiſperer ſeparates Chief Friends.

2ly. I beg of you to watch againſt the Whiſperer and Falſe Reporter, as neither to give way to or to be an encourager of thoſe that come with ſlanders, for they that entertain them give encouragement to them that practiſe it: we have a Proverb in England, That if therewere no Receivers there would be no Thieves, ſo if there were none that would give an Ear to Tales there would be no Tale-bearers; if we are ſub­ject to give too eaſie credit to them, this encourages the Whiſperer and Backbiter, and ſo begets an ill opinion of the perſon, which is a great evil to believe ill with­out a juſt ground: when the Enemy hath thus far gained his end upon any to re­ceive the accuſation, then the next thing is to report it to others, and ſo become a Companion with the Whiſperer and Backbiter, and after he hath unjuſtly with­drawn thy own good opinion of thy Neighbour, endeavoureſt to rob him of that with others alſo; for he that can take delight to hear his Neighbour re­proached, may well be preſumed to give us to believe, will not ſtick to ſpread the ſlander.

Therefore Friends take my Chriſtian Advice to keep in innocency in this matter, and not in the leaſt to encourage any that are given to falſe Reports, by which the Sweet Converſation and Unity comes to be broken.

3ly. This ſin of Whiſpering, Backbiting and Falſe Reports is a miſchievous Enemy that leſſens if not wholly deſtroys the Credit of man, not only in Spiritual things but Natural. 1ſt. Conſider the thing he is robbed of: 2ly. The difficulty of making ſatisfaction; a good name is better than Riches, a thing to be accounted in great eſteem to every innocent man, very near to a mans life: now the making of Repa­ration for the injury done in this caſe of Defamation is very hard, nay, it ſeems all­moſt impoſſible, for mind you, when men are poſſeſſed with an ill opinion of a man, it is no eaſie matter to remove it out of their minds: Therefore theſe things be­ing conſidered, how wary, how careful, and how conſcientious ſhould we be in this matter, how we ſpeak of, or give entertainment to ſuch as are Tale-bearers, Whiſpe­rers and Falſe-reporters, that do ſuch great miſchiefs to men.

4ly. In your common converſation or viſiting one another, keep out of theſe re­ports, and rather let it be in the love of God, ſtirring up one another to Love, and Charity, and Good Works, according to the gift that is in you that your viſits may be in the edifying and building up one another in the moſt holy faith, telling one another of your experiences, and what the Lord hath done for our ſouls, who is watering daily his pleaſant plants, and cauſing them to grow as fruitful plants, to the praiſe of the good Husbandman, and here as we are opened one to another we ſhall be kept freſh, and green, and tender in the Love of God, here none will be hurt, but rather if any are gone out of the way or have ſlipt, to reſtore ſuch with the ſpirit of meekneſs and tenderneſs, this will be far from loading any with ſcorn and calumny, which doth but drive farther from God, and from Unity with the Brethren: read the 14th Epheſ. 31, 32. Let all bitterneſs, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil-ſpeaking be put away from amongſt you with all malice, and be you kind one to another, and tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God for Chriſts ſake forgave you.

5ly. Take not up an occaſion againſt any from bare report without certain teſti­mony or knowledge of matter of fact againſt the perſon, and whoever thou art that reproves another for any thing that is wrong, had need be innocent in thy converſa­tion, and clear of thoſe things thou reproveſt others for, otherwiſe it may be ſaid of thee as Chriſt taught in the 7th of Matthew, Judge not, leaſt thou be judged, for with what judgement ye judge ye ſhall be judged, and with what meaſure ye meet, it ſhall be meaſured to you again: and why beholdeſt thou the mote that is in thy Brothers eye, and conſidereſt not the beam that is in thy own eye; thou hypocrite, firſt caſt out the beam out of thine own eye, and then ſhalt thou ſee clearly to caſt out the mote out of thy Brothers eye: moſt certain it is without this rule be obſerved thou wilt certainly pull down more than thou canſt build up by all the beſt words in the world.

6ly. And laſtly I ſhall give theſe directions as the proper means to ſtop and prevent the currant of thoſe growing evils of ſtrife, debate, diviſion, whiſpering, backbiting and falſe-reports; you know it is the part of a good Phyſitian not on­ly to ſhew what the grief and diſtemper is, but to apply ſuch proper means as may be moſt ſutable for the perfecting the Cure. The diſeaſe is the ſubject which this Teſtimony is againſt, viz. backbitings and whiſperings: the Infallible cure for it, is our cloſe walking and abiding in Chriſt who is the peaceable Saviour, and Prince of everlaſting peace; for moſt certain and without all controverſie if we keep in the Love and Life that is in him, we ſhall keep out of all that's evil, and all that offends, for mark you in Chriſt Jeſus there is neither giving offence cauſe leſly nor taking offence, but a dwelling in Love that is the fulfilling of the Law 2ly, Put on Charity, it is the bond of perfectneſs, and hath theſe ſeveral effects: It will certainly keep the mind in a peaceable and meek temper, ſo far from ſeeking occa­ſion of contention that no provocation ſhall draw us to it; Charity is not eaſil•provoked, ſo that whoſoever is uncharitable ſhews his heart is far from a Chriſti•…Temper; and it is to be conſidered the nature of this Charity is ſuch, that it〈◊〉moſt certainly cauſe a tender compaſſion towards all the miſeries of others w•…have erred or gone out of the way, to lend a hand to reſtore them back aga•…

To cloſe up this my Friendly Perſwaſion I commend you to read weightily, and practice ſincerely theſe directions of Chriſt and the Apoſtle Paul gives in this caſe of Charity one towards another, which if truly obſerved will put an end to theſe Controverſies amongſt profeſſors of Chriſtianity, Mat. 18. 15. If thy Brother ſhall treſpaſs againſt thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him; if he ſhall hear thee, thou haſt gained thy Brother. Rom. 14. Him that is weak in the faith receive you, but not to doubtful diſputations. Rom. 14. 19. Let us follow after the things that make for peace, and things wherewith you may edifie one another. Now the God of peace that brought again our Lord Jeſus from the dead, that great Shepheard of the ſheep, through the blood of the Everlaſting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his Will, working in you that which is well-pleaſing in his ſight, through Jeſus Chriſt, to whom be glory for ever, Amen.