CasualWestminsterEnjoyer
Puritan Board Senior
Since I finished Fenner (on affections), I've been reading David Tappan (last orthodox, reformed president of Harvard University).
I found this quote insightful, because I've never really thought about a "duty to rebuke" one's equals. One's inferiors, certainly, but one's equals, not so much.
Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
IT is a subject of just and general complaint, that honest and faithful friendship in our mutual communications and dealings is become very unfashionable; and a style of flattery and dissimulation has crept into our ordinary social intercourse; insomuch that the good old practice of generously pointing out, and endeavouring to rectify, the errors and faults of our neighbour, is in a great measure lost, even among Christian professors.
As this instance of modern degeneracy is both sinful and pernicious, it is the duty of religious instructers to bear an open testimony against it, and to enforce this testimony by their private and public example.
The words just recited are excellently adapted to such a design, as they earnestly inculcate the duty of reproving our offending brethren. "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
Several things in this precept deserve our particular notice.
First. We are commanded rather to reprove our neighbour openly, than to cherish secret hatred against
him for any injury or offence, which he has offered to us. We are forbidden to "hate him in our hearts," that is, to conceive secret disaffection to him, and conceal resentful, vindicative passions under the veil of silence, or apparent friendship, till we have a full opportunity of retaliating. But we must rather give vent to our honest displeasure at the offence, by dealing openly and faithfully with the offender. In this way we must endeavour to convince him of his fault, and thus extinguish our own resentment. We must rebuke him to his face, for any flagrant evil, in opposition both to divulging his transgression to others, like mean and cruel talebearers (which is strictly prohibited in the preceding verse
and to basely flattering, encouraging, or justifying him in his sin.
Secondly. We are thus to reuke him, in a spirit of love. For the duty of reproof being here opposed to inward hatred of our brother, implies of course the contrary affection of love, prompting our efforts to convince and reform him, and thus secure his forgiveness, virtue, and final happiness. Friendly rebuke then is an essential office of mutual charity, which ought both to be performed and received in love. "Let the righteous smite me," said an eminent saint, "and it shall be a kindness." How faithful and salutary are these wounds of a friend!
Thirdly. Observe the great strictness of the command ; "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him ;" that is, thou shalt, by no means, on no pretence, omit this friendly office ; which denotes, that however ready men are to frame reasons for neglecting it, none of those excuses will by any means annul the binding force of this duty, or exculpate the omission. For observe...
I found this quote insightful, because I've never really thought about a "duty to rebuke" one's equals. One's inferiors, certainly, but one's equals, not so much.
Sermon II.
On brotherly Reproof.
LEVITICUS xix. 17.Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
IT is a subject of just and general complaint, that honest and faithful friendship in our mutual communications and dealings is become very unfashionable; and a style of flattery and dissimulation has crept into our ordinary social intercourse; insomuch that the good old practice of generously pointing out, and endeavouring to rectify, the errors and faults of our neighbour, is in a great measure lost, even among Christian professors.
As this instance of modern degeneracy is both sinful and pernicious, it is the duty of religious instructers to bear an open testimony against it, and to enforce this testimony by their private and public example.
The words just recited are excellently adapted to such a design, as they earnestly inculcate the duty of reproving our offending brethren. "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
Several things in this precept deserve our particular notice.
First. We are commanded rather to reprove our neighbour openly, than to cherish secret hatred against
him for any injury or offence, which he has offered to us. We are forbidden to "hate him in our hearts," that is, to conceive secret disaffection to him, and conceal resentful, vindicative passions under the veil of silence, or apparent friendship, till we have a full opportunity of retaliating. But we must rather give vent to our honest displeasure at the offence, by dealing openly and faithfully with the offender. In this way we must endeavour to convince him of his fault, and thus extinguish our own resentment. We must rebuke him to his face, for any flagrant evil, in opposition both to divulging his transgression to others, like mean and cruel talebearers (which is strictly prohibited in the preceding verse
and to basely flattering, encouraging, or justifying him in his sin.Secondly. We are thus to reuke him, in a spirit of love. For the duty of reproof being here opposed to inward hatred of our brother, implies of course the contrary affection of love, prompting our efforts to convince and reform him, and thus secure his forgiveness, virtue, and final happiness. Friendly rebuke then is an essential office of mutual charity, which ought both to be performed and received in love. "Let the righteous smite me," said an eminent saint, "and it shall be a kindness." How faithful and salutary are these wounds of a friend!
Thirdly. Observe the great strictness of the command ; "Thou shalt in any wise rebuke him ;" that is, thou shalt, by no means, on no pretence, omit this friendly office ; which denotes, that however ready men are to frame reasons for neglecting it, none of those excuses will by any means annul the binding force of this duty, or exculpate the omission. For observe...
