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found there a tribunal set up purely for condemnation, a purpose to condemn all, an eagerness to discover the least flaw, a cruel decision of everything in the most unfavourable manner, and an evident exultation of spirit in the supposed discovery. It would be well, indeed, if there had been nothing of their spirit in us. But, alas! how often have we judged rashly, condemned upon false grounds, not put the most favourable interpretations, and come to hasty and uncharitable conclusions upon the state or conduct of our neighbours; and hereby proved that we are not such strangers to the censorious disposition above spoken of as we may have been apt to imagine?

Thirdly. A willingness to hear of the faults of others is another effect of a censorious disposition, and sin against this commandment. This is so plain that I need not say much upon it; yet so common, I fear, that it must not be passed by. The question then is this, how are you affected, and how do you behave, when you hear of other people's faults? If you be charitably disposed as you ought, you will be really grieved for the person accused, if the thing be so clear that you cannot gainsay it; and if you think he is hardly judged and misrepresented, you will not fail to defend him. But if you are well enough pleased to hear such things said of another, and better pleased when you find they are true; if, supposing you think him severely dealt with, you yet sit still, and let the matter pass as if no concern of yours; will you imagine that you have a real love for your neighbour, and concern to maintain his reputation in the world? Or will not this argue very much of that censorious spirit to be dwelling in your heart? Yet have you never heard too patiently, or too silently, or too pleasingly, the faults of others? To talk of other people's blemishes is the general talk of some, and they are the subject of a great part of their conversation. I beseech you how could this be unless we were pleased with it, and but too forward to hear it? Otherwise conversation of that kind would soon be discountenanced and dismissed, and the talebearer and slanderer be constrained to keep in the venom of his malicious heart, which now, too much at liberty, he pours out to the poisoning of the hearts of others. Revenge and envy, as was hinted above, are a kind of alleviations and comparative excuses for being content

to hear of the defects of those who we think have done us ill, or stand in our way; and therefore the most dreadful mark of a censorious spirit must lie in this, that we are pleased and forward to hear of the faults of those to whom it may be we are strangers, or between whom and us there have been no jealousies. To be willing to hear of the faults of another, through revenge or envy, is bad enough; but to sit down in cold blood, as it were, and for very malice-sake to be pleased in hearing a history of their vices or infirmities against whom we bear no resentment, and are perhaps little or nothing acquainted with; this is to rejoice indeed in iniquity, bespeaks a censorious disposition in the very height of it, and is in truth a consideration that should alarm us all. This will suffice for the first head, and evidently show how far a censorious disposition, hard judging of others, and a willingness to hear their faults, is from preserving as good an opinion as we can of our neighbour in our own hearts.

Secondly. The other duty required by this commandment is, that according to our power we do maintain his character in the world. And so these three other things fall also under the censure of this commandment:

First.-Going about to lessen the real attainments of our neighbour, which is detraction.

Secondly. Laying a charge against him that does not belong to him, which is slander.

And, Thirdly.-Discovering his real faults needlessly, which is evil-speaking.

I would not you should lose sight of censoriousness, as lying at the bottom of the greater part of detraction, slander, and evil-speaking. I say the greater part of it; although envy and revenge will also have their share. But then their province is more confined, reaching only to particular persons, and even in regard of their characters nothing so hurtful as censoriousness, because these tempers generally make themselves known by the bitterness or violence wherewith they express themselves; and so by overdoing carry with them an antidote against what is said, and make the envious or angry person heard with allowance, and with little heed taken of what he speaks. Whereas the censorious tongue goes through the world, and spares none; while in the mean time, putting on the guise of impartiality or

the show of compassion, characters fall before it with an influence very hardly to be resisted, insomuch that it will be exceedingly difficult for the most charitable heart to go away without some lessening impression of the persons spoken of. So much peculiar mischief arises from a kind of conversation, which is often thought to have no great harm in it. But to come to the particulars, which I shall in a manner but barely mention, as the nature of their sinfulness has been already shown.

First.-Detraction is a going about to lessen the character of others. It is a doing that by our neighbour which the spies did by the promised land, bringing up such an evil report upon him, and setting him in such colours, as to make him little regarded. It were endless to mention the various methods that may be used for this purpose, such as marking out his defects in that very grace or gift wherein he excelleth, or lowering him by the mention of his weak side, or hiding his deservings by setting forth the more eminent character of others, or rendering him despicable by some accidental circumstance belonging to him; as the Jews said of Christ, Is not this the carpenter's son? I say the methods of detraction are endless. The thing itself is evident, that when we say anything to the hurt or hinderance of our neighbour's character, whereby he may be rendered less serviceable to Christ and the world, we actually sin against God, and others, as well as him. And therefore it will behove us to reflect whether we have not carelessly or wilfully lessened the real attainments of others, in grace, virtue, and prudence, by speaking slightingly of them, and behaving as if they were of little account. A little done this way may have produced much mischief, and so involved us in great guilt.

Secondly. Another way of hurting our neighbour's character is by slander; that is by bringing a charge against him that does not belong to him. Now these slanders are either false reports invented and uttered about another, or such reports added to or carried about by those that heard them. In the case of raising false reports the thing is plain, and the sin manifest. But where is the difference between raising a report, and adding to it what it had not before, to make it more considerable? But you will say, perhaps, you did not mean to make it worse than

you heard it; it was your mistake. However, you see an injury is done to your neighbour; and at whose door does the blame lie but yours? Yea, and had you reported no more than you heard, to what end did you report a story to the hurt of your neighbour's character? Can you lay your hand on your heart, and say, in the presence of God, "I had no other design in doing it but God's glory, and out of some charitable purpose?" If not, you acted the part of a talebearer, and you very well know that is a character far from being commended in Scripture. If it was not through revenge or envy you uttered the slanderous story, that lay burning in your bosom till it was imparted to all your acquaintance, you must have done it out of pure censoriousness, and in the want of charity, which was vastly worse.

Thirdly. The other sin against the public maintenance of our neighbour's character is evil-speaking, by which I would understand here, speaking needlessly of the faults of others. We must speak of the sins of others when there is necessity; but when there is none, and no real good intended calls us to it, then, though the thing be true, we commit a sin in telling it. If the glory of God and the good of others require, we must indeed speak the truth. But when we have no such design, and there is no manner of occasion, by speaking the truth we do but injure our own souls. Yet perhaps people will be ready to think they have done nothing amiss because they have said nothing but what was true to their own knowledge. But is this doing as you would be done by? Did your neighbour know anything amiss of you, would you be willing he should, without any reason but to indulge his foolish heart and tongue, make it known, and ruin your character in the world? If not, the mere saying that what you have spoken is but the truth can be but a poor excuse.

And now, from the whole of this account of the ninth commandment, you may see what an enemy your tongue is to your soul, and what a perverse nature there is within you to set on fire your tongue. I will leave these two hints with you for the better ordering the one and the other :

First. - Above all things in the world pray for a new heart. The chief transgressions of this commandment are within and

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you know also it is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.' As faith, hope, and charity, gain strength, the censorious principle will die in you as well as envy and revenge, and so you will be more free from receiving or uttering anything to the prejudice of your brother's good name.

Secondly.- Enjoin this upon yourself, never to speak of the faults of others, unless absolutely obliged to it. You will find this rule of prudence to be of great service, not only to the bridling of your tongue, but to the mortifying of your heart.

There are many other sins usually ranged under this commandment, such as flattery, boasting, and the like: but I have chosen rather to confine myself to the simple design of it, respecting the characters of others; especially as all these have been in substance spoken to under some of the former. The tenth commandment remains now only to be treated of, which, God willing, shall be our employment when we next meet.

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