accordingly: "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit;" and

answered with wis

this is done when his folly is dom, and exposed by truth. When we are commanded not to answer a fool according to his folly, lest we be like unto him, it means, we are not to answer his vanity with vanity, nor his folly with foolishness; for that makes us appear like unto him. The wise man must make use of wisdom if he contends with a fool, whether he rage or laugh; and then he will always differ widely from him. In short, deal faithfully with all men, and thou wilt have the approbation of God, conscience, and scripture, however men may disapprove; yea, and of the children of grace, too: for, though reproof be grievous to him that forsaketh the way, yet he that reproveth him (when the reproof is seconded by humbling grace, and his pride and stubbornness are dissolved) shall find more favour in his eyes than he that flattereth with his lips, Prov. xxviii. 23.

There are some to be found in the churches, whether false brethren or true it is sometimes hard to tell, who are unstable in all their ways; always biassed by the last report, whether true or false; always carried away with the last acquaintance; and wonderfully ravished with every new doctrine, or new observation, whether right or wrong. These, receiving every report, and being easily deceived, are always imposed upon; and are sure never to want tattling visitors: and,

when once an evil report of another is brought to such, whether it has any foundation or not, they immediately become your enemies, and spare neither your grace, character, ministry, nor usefulness. These are not the excellent of the earth, nor such as excel in virtue; therefore thou art not obliged to take all thy delight in them, but, contrariwise, make them no part of your privy council: keep them objects of your love, and subjects of your prayers; but make them neither bosom friends nor companions in travail, for thou mayest gain such a brother and lose him an hundred times in a week; yea, two or three such intimates as these will cut you out work enough to employ you all the year round, only by going from John Nokes to Thomas Stiles, to prove or disprove every tale of a tub; which ill becomes the real saint, who ought to mind his business, his Saviour, and his conscience; knowing that it is his witness, and that of his own conscience, which must buoy him up, and bear him out, if ever he end in peace, or stand before the Son of Man with boldness. Furthermore, if such do you any act of kindness, it shall afterward be thrown in your teeth, and proclaimed to the wide world, without considering that he who sows spiritual things has a right to reap carnal things. Such, if they are benefactors, soon repent of their liberality; forfeit the enjoyment of the blessing promised to the secret and chearful giver; and make their bounty a matter of reproach, to injure the work and

workman of God. I would sooner have three such friends as Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, who were confederate with Abraham, Gen. xiv. 24, than have confederacy with a hundred such Israelites as Reuben, who are unstable as water, and excel in nothing but childish things.

To conclude, my friends: the only happiness. upon earth is union with Christ; and to abide in him is to abide in safety. Neither prejudice nor envy can strike a lasting root in a mind that is truly heavenly, nor grow or flourish in a soul that abides sensibly in Christ Jesus. It is the silly one that is slain by it; and, where it captivates a saint, it proclaims him at a distance from his God: the more he nurses it, the more fuel he adds to his future furnace of affliction; and, perhaps, at last, he may be ranked among those who are saved by fire. If ever thou findest it working in thy mind, never come from thy knees without a stroke at that; and every temptation that nurseth pride, or moves thee to prejudice, fall to praying for the object that Satan moves thee to hate. To be led by the temptation is giving place to the devil; to act counter to it, is to improve it to the honour of God, and the confusion of the adversary. I have found a heaven upon earth in praying for those who, without cause, have offended and injured me. I have met with the sensible approbation of God to my heart; and my prayer has procured an answer to my own bosom, whether it was heard in their behalf or not: and God,

that searches the heart, best knows who they are that, in their heart, forgive their brethren their trespasses. God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed, though his prayer was put up for his friends; when, in very deed, they had behaved themselves more like enemies than friends; for they had not spoken the things that were right, even of God; nor had they convinced, though they had all condemned, Job.

Be cautioned not to disclose all the secrets of thine heart to every one that says a confederacy! neither cast your pearls before swine; nor frequent the houses of gossipping professors, where the life and power of religion are wanting, where no unity of judgment nor union of soul are to be found, and where nothing but tattling and tale-bearing abound. Such are Solomon's wood-pile, where strife is generally kindled; and, where there is no such wood, the fire goeth out. You will find that the objects of their hatred and raillery are, in the general, such as God loves; and their hatred is raised by the knowledge, honour, and power, that attend the just; which lays their superficial profession and hypocritical hopes in the dust. A bosom friend in soul union, whom God has made manifest in your conscience, and who is in your heart to live and die with; who is sound in faith, steady in his profession, harmonious in his confession, consistent in his life, dead to the world and alive to God, diligent in the means, experienced in his heart, and savoury

in his conversation; is a friend and a brother indeed! and, when thou findest such an one, stick by him: two or three such as he, at a throne of grace, are terrible as an army with banners. I have known many an hypocrite plucked out of his profession, and cast without the pale of the church; all his schemes blasted; his heart discovered; the prejudiced weakling undeceived; the breach that he had made closed; the object of his hatred exalted; and all this in answer to a few petitions put up by two or three in private, while he himself never knew who dealt the blow. It was this sort of work, in the hand of Mordecai and Esther, that hung Haman at his own expence, and brought Herod to his death by worms: and it was a few fellow-servants telling their lord of the conduct of this unmerciful servant, that engaged the Lord to deliver him to the tormentors. This is the way: and blessed is the man who lets all his requests be made known unto God; for he may say, as Paul did, "I can do alf things through Christ strengthening me."

Commit thy way to the Lord, and in all thy ways acknowledge him; and he shall establish thy thoughts, and direct thy steps. Be not like the horse, or the mule, that have no understanding; and he will guide thee with his eye, and steer thee over many a trap and snare which thou wilt be ignorant of till he discover them to thee. Do nothing without thy God; nor scrape acquaintance with every one who makes a profes