EVANGELICAL REFORMER,

AND

YOUNG MAN'S GUIDE. BY JOSEPH BAREER, PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY.

PRIC ONE PENNY, OR IN MONTHLY PARTS PRICE FIVE PENCE.

No. 17.

Saturday, April 21st, 1838.

GIVING AND TAKING REPROOF.

The liberty I take in judging other authors, said Grotius in one of his books, I am content others should take with me. No one can be more forward to. admonish me when I err, than I shall be to listen to bis admonitions.

We should all be as willing to listen to our brethren wheney admonish us of any error in our behaviour, as Grus was to listen to those who might point out errors in his books; and we should be as forward to amend our ways where they are wrong, as he declared himself to be to correct the errors of his writings. And if our brethren should sometimes reprove us when we are not faulty, it would be well not to use them roughly, for fear we should prevent them from speaking when we are in fault.

It would be better to take a dozen undeserved censures kindly, than by any angry or resentful words deprive ourselves of a single censure that may be necessary. And yet some are so severe towards a brother that has reproved them without reason, that they frighten him. from all attempts to set them right for the future.

It is right that we should reprove our reprover, when he does wrong; but we should do it with great care and tenderness, if we do not wish to be losers by it.

And even if it be an enemy that tells us of an error, we ought to correct it; and if we cannot thank him for good intentions, we may thank God, for using an evil instrument in such a useful business.

If it were not for the freedom of our enemies we should miss many a useful lesson; unless we were blessed with freer and more faithful friends.

I have been more indebted to the censures of my enemies for a knowledge of my faults, than to the admonitions of my friends; and when my friends have brought me a reproof, it has often been in consequence of the detraction of an enemy.

And in correcting my creed, I have often derived more help from the enemies of truth, than from its professed friends.

And yet I have had some friends, who have had both the kindness and the courage to reprove me to my face.

And this I have found out also, that my friends become more faithful as my defects diminish; and that the nearer they come to the end of their work, the more cheerfully and diligently they do it.

And I do not wonder that men should shrink from reproving one whose faults are very numerous; for the more faults a man has, the more likely he is to take offence at reproof.

The number of his faults are a proof that he treats them gently, for faults do not multiply except when they are tenderly treated.

And when a person has many faults, he has less to support him in bearing reproof; whereas a man who has many virtues and fewer faults, is supported by the consciousness of his general rectitude.

Touch an error in the creed of a bigot, and it shakes his whole system; and touch a fault in a bad man's character, and he feels it through his whole soul.

But an error in the creed of an enlightened man is but like the loose fringe of his garment; you may touch it, and even cut it off without pain.

If we wish therefore to make it easy to our friends to reprove our faults, and easy to ourselves to correct them, let us try to have as few faults and as many excellencies as possible.

The way to be perfect is to be as perfect as we

can.

The richer a man is, the more money he can get; the wiser a man is, the more information he receives; and the more excellent a man becomes in his character, the more likely he is to receive reproof in those points where he is still wanting.

It is a great advantage also not to be rich, nor to be placed in a high situation: for many will speak freely to the poor and lowly, who will not open their lips to the rich and mighty.

Riches and power have two great calamities; they tend both to make men faulty, and to place them out of the reach of those means, which should restrain or correct their faults.

And adversity hath these two advantages; it both makes us consider our own misdoings, and loosens the tongues of others to give us reproof and instruction.

If we have a friend so kind and faithful, as to admonish us when he finds us in error, let us esteem him above riches, and use our best endeavours to preserve his friendship.

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It is next to impossible to detect all our errors and improprieties ourselves, and though an enemy may useful, he is not to be relied upon; on what ground then can we hope to be freed from our failings, but by a wise and honest friend.

And if our friend be less wise than we could wish, let us try to instruct him; that the service and the ob ligation may be mutual.

If we were more faithful in reproving others, we should be more fortunate in being reproved ourselves.

But perhaps we are unwilling to be cured of our faults, and abstain from reproving our brethren, lest they should touch those faults in our character, which we wish to be unnoticed.

But he is a wretched man that can see his neighbour's faults and half perceive his own, and yet make no efforts to cure either.

It is rather unpleasant at first to have our faults pointed out to us, but when we have set ourselves in earnest to correct them, the pain of reproof grows less, and it becomes a pleasure to listen to our reprover.

It is also a task to reprove our neighbour, but use will make it more easy.

The success we shall meet with in reproving our brethren, will make us more faithful to our duty; and care and practice will increase our fitness for the work.

We must not think that our reproof does no good, because it is taken unkindly; many a one has raved in the presence of his reprover, who has wept and repented before his God.

And if you do not cure the sinner, you lessen his boldness in sin; few will have courage to boast of their sins, who have been fairly and gravely reproved.

And if you can make a man ashamed, there is some ground to hope for amendment; and where amendment is wanting, the infection of sin is diminished.

Some will defend what they have done stoutly before the man who rebukes them; and yet they will take care to do the opposite afterward, and even boast that they have relinquished what before they defended.

If we would take our stand upon gospel principles, and both by our conduct and our words reprove every thing that was at variance with those principles, we should soon roll back the floods of iniquity, and change the feelings and the customs of the whole country.

The world cannot stand against the force of righteous principles, when avowed and acted on by steady men. The reason why the world are so forward to tempt christians, is because christians are so backward to reprove the world.

If professors of religion will not endeavour to convert their neighbours, it is decreed by God, that they shall fall back themselves.

If a man does not reprove his neighbour, he is

almost sure to backbite him; and the man whore you hear backbiting his neighbour, you may be sure has neglected to reprove him.

If we will not endure to be reproved, we must endure to be backbitten, for men will talk of our faults either to us or to others,

If they speak to others they will often speak more than the truth; if we encourage them to speak to us, they will be content with speaking less than the truth.

If you will not be reproved, you must be left both to commit fresh faults, and to be injured in your reputation by the circulation of your old ones; if you encourage reproof you both escape the running whisper of the slanderer, and the future evil consequences of transgression.

But some will say, that they should get nothing but ill-will if they should reprove their neighbours; but this is a proof either that they never tried, or never tried aright.

But if they should get only ill-will from man, they will, if they do their duty right, get something better from God; and the favour of God should surely outweigh the momentary displeasure of man.

But if a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him ;" and He that rebuketh a man, shall find more favour afterwards, than he that flattereth with his lips."

Reproving others will make you more watchful over your own conduct, and so contribute to render you more holy.

We shall also have the pleasure of a good conscience, and when we see men sin, we may say to ourselves, It is not for want of our admonition.

While we neglect to reprove our brethren, we can never be sure but that their sins are the fruit of our neglect; and we must run the risk of being condemned for being partakers in other men's sins.

But let us not expect our reproofs to do good, unless both we ourselves are upright, and our reproofs weż mixed with love and prudence.