Christian prudence, or, Directions for the guidance and conduct of our selves in the case of judging one another being several discourses on Math. 7, 1 / by G. Bright.

Sect. I.

WE are now come to the Remedies or Means to prevent those pro∣hibited Judgings, of which one of the most General, And

1. Shall be to remember and attend to the great number of mischievous Effects and Consequences thereof, and then to the Causes of them. The

first will dispose our Wills to be averse there-from, The second will direct us to some means to effect our Wills. The first will make us willing to abstain there∣from. The second able. Call to mind therefore, and think of, as oft as thou may'st be in danger, how much of that time spent in observing and judging of others, might have been spent in Self∣examination, reflection and attention to thy own Business and Affairs. How idly and unprofitably, to say no worse, I employ my self there, in comparison to what I might do, if my thoughts were more at Home. How much more uprightly and prudently might I carry, and demean my self in all my Actions. Again, how troublesome and importu∣nate it makes one Man to another, to be too frequently Checking, Control∣ling, Determining them in their own Affairs, to be Tyrannical and Injuring. How unreasonable and mischievous it is to be disposed to Hate, Under-value, or Contemn Persons, more than in im∣partial Judgments they deserve, and to be consequently the Causes of our

selves being Under-valued, Hated, Con∣temned there-for, and more than we de∣serve. Again, the being occasions and causes of Sin and Trouble, both to our selves and others in the World. How foolish is it to expose our selves to just censure for Folly, Rashness, Inconsidera∣tions, Weakness, Indiscretion and Partiality, and to be neglected justly, and not to be fit to do any good to o∣thers by our Testimony? The bearing false Witness against our Neighbour, how should it pinch and wring us, and hurt us, as much as if we nip'd or cut our own Fingers, or gashed our own Flesh? What a pitiable thing is it, and mischievous, to see a Man mistakenly to stroke the Bad, and strike the Good, because he thinks well of the one, and ill of the other; just clean contrary to what should be▪ and like Mad-men out of their Wits? Why should any Man call upon himself Contempt, Hatred, Anger, or Revenge, for his weak, imprudent, peevish, or ill-natured Tatling his Opinion of others? How hateful a thing is it, to be the Cause of

Hatred, Animosities, Grudgings, Ill∣wills, Discords, Contentions, Wrang∣lings and Brawlings, and mischievous Actions between Men, to set the World on Fire, to be a Fire-brand? Consi∣der, can any Man who wisely loves himself and the World, for the good of which he is made, endure, to be the Author of mischief only, to be bet∣ter out of the World than in, conse∣quently to see himself a constant Judg to condemn, and Executioner too by his Hatred, Malice, Ill-nature, Enmi∣ty, Envy and Spite, Revenge, Anger, Pride, affectation of Superiorioty in Judging, to be a Pest and Bane to the World, and to improve these most Noxious qualities in himself, by Ex∣ercise and Use, and in others by the imitation of his example, and to banish kind and friendly Conversation? Is it not also brutish enough, and a sign a Man hath no Mind to get any Good quality, wherein he may be an useful Example to others? Or if he hath, he cares not whether any be the better for it or no?

Consider, and attend to these and such like things, especially at those times when you may have most need, when you find your selves most prone to offend in this kind, or when upon Re∣flection on your selves at any time you find you have so done. And as we shall do well thus to learn and inform our selves in, and remember and call to mind these, or some of these ill Ef∣fects, both when we are about to do amiss in this kind, and when we have done so, to prevent the like for the future, by getting our Minds against it; so that we may know how to do it, it will be useful to take notice of, and remember the Causes that we may re∣move them.

Shun we therefore and avoid Idle∣ness; let us chuse and mind some Cal∣ling of our own in particular, nor let us neglect our general Calling of ser∣ving God, Self-examination and Re∣flection, occasional doing Good and Be∣nificence. Have we a care of Busie∣bodiness, and meerly to be doing and talking, for doing and talking sake,

but always for some further good end. And so likewise have we a care of Cu∣riosity, or a humour and desire to ob∣serve and know every thing, though most Remote from us, and Impertinent to any good use or design we put it to, meerly for the observation and knowledg sake; and it is no matter where the things be never so small and trivial, and in others (as they will be for most part) too, so it will gratifie that Humour in us, and that is all we care for. Secure we our selves from this Childish temper, and if we desire to observe and know things, let them be Profitable and of Concernment, and those which we may make best use of, and that is, be sure, what is in our selves. Let us have a care also of that particu∣lar branch of Pride, viz. Affectation to know and direct others in their own Affairs and Actions.

But most Industriously let us eschew and flee the gratification of our selves, by the hatred of others and revenge. Far be this from us, and Pride and foolish af∣fectation of Superiority, and therefore

envy, fury wrath and anger against Persons in general, as also Contempt, the most common Causes of Detraction and Slander. Let them not come near us, nor enter in the least within any the doors of our Breasts. Flattery too and ultimate base fear of any ones dis∣pleasure, or seeking of their favour, we must also despise and scorn, which doth so much betray us oft-times to Judgments on the worst side of some, that we might please others; let us be sure to inform our selves as well as we can, when we judg concerning others, and not do it ignorantly. And more particularly, let us have a care we do not too generally conclude all Persons like our selves, nor suffer our selves to be abused by publick Report or Testi∣mony, and judg all true what we so re∣ceive; make always an allowance one way or another; at least most generally suspect and doubt till further Examina∣tion, if it be worth the while. Let us have a care of that kind of Partiality, whereby we observe and take notice but of one sort of Qualities or Actions

in Men, none but their Good, or none but their Bad, as they are our Friends, or Foes, as we are well or ill affected towards them; but let us be free and indifferent to see both Faults and Im∣perfections in our Friends, and Virtue, and what's good and laudable in our Enemies. Let us stir up and maintain always in our Minds a strong habitual love of the Truth, which will be by and by a more particular Instruction. Hardly any thing of more good effect in this business, than the government of our Passions, to remove, calm, quiet them, if you intend to pass any consi∣derable Judgment as to Truth, viz. Love, Hatred, Admiration, Contempt, Revenge, Anger, and the l••••e; suffer we not our Minds and Memories to be Brib'd by these, to admit only what can be said on one side, and not of an∣other; nay, more than can or onght to be said, and to thrust upon us what is not true, and thrust out again what is or may be true, because against them; suffer we not our Minds to be ruffled and confused by them, and not to be

able, and willing not to attend to the evidence of what we would not have to be True, or would have to be False, though never so manifest: For what can be expected from us of Truth and Ju∣stice in our judgments concerning o∣thers, when we are so affected? And lastly, Let us seriously endeavour to Reform, Correct, Amend the Corrup∣tions and bad Inclinations of our Na∣ture, that ultimate Selfishness, seeking our own selves without any regard to the good of others, nay, with an ex∣press contempt thereof, and by their mischief or hurt; as if their good were not Good, as well as mine; hence con∣sequently Hatred, Malice, Revenge, Pride, affectation of Superiority, En∣vy, Contempt, causless Anger, Flat∣tery: Seek we, I say, to cure our Na∣ture by Observation, Caution, Endea∣vour, and God's Assistance. Thus if we take but heed to, and remember these and all other which are the Causes of our too busie, disadvantageous, rash, selfish, false, malicious, proud, envi∣ours, wrathful, contemptuous, flatter∣ing

Judgments of others, and remove them, we shall certainly prevent the Effect.

But more particularly, I shall recom∣mend to you some Remedies, which follow.