ut repeating and blazing of them will make a friend not only a
stranger, but an enemy. Yet this is nothing to the prejudice of that
Christian duty of reproving and admonishing one another, Eph. v. 11. "Have
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them." Love commands to reprove in the "spirit of meekness," (Gal. vi. 1.)
as a man would restore an arm out of joint. And therefore thou "shall not
hate him in thy heart, but shall in any ways reprove him, and not suffer
sin upon him," Lev. xix. 17. And he that reproves his brother after this
manner from love, and in meekness and wisdom, "shall afterward find more
favour of him than he that flatters with his tongue," Prov. xxviii. 23. To
cover grudges and jealousies in our hearts, were to nourish a flame in our
bosom, which doth but wait for a vent, and will at one occasion or other
burst out. But to look too narrowly to every step, and to write up a
register of men's mere frailties, especially so as to publish them to the
world; that is inconsistent with the rule of love. And truly, it is a
token of one "destitute of wisdom to despise his neighbour; but a man of
understanding will hold his peace." He that has most defects himself, will
find maniest(419) in others, and strive to vilify them one way or other;
but a wise man can pass by frailties, yea, offences done to him, and be
silent, Prov. xi. 12.

Chapter V.

Humility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is
no solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of
self-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of
naughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation:
"The end of the command is charity out of a pure heart," 1 Tim. i. 5. It
is only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of
pride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome
stream, to the refreshing of the spirits and bowels of the church of God.
If self-glory and pride have deep roots fastened into the soul, they draw
all the sap and virtue downward, and send little or nothing up to the tree
of charity, which makes it barren and unfruitful in the works of
righteousness, and fruits of mercy and meekness. There are obstructions in
the way of that communication, which only can be removed by the plucking
up of these roots of pride and self-estimation, which prey upon all, and
incorporate all in themselves, and