a Inftruct those that oppofe themselves; cause them to understand wherein they have erred; and make them know the certainty of the Words of Truth; that they that err in Spirit may come to Understanding, and they that murmur, may learn Doctrine. For, How forcible are right Words? b Give not that which is holy unto the Dogs; neither caft ye your Pearls before Swine; left they trample them under their Feet, and turn again, and rent you. Behold, the Word of the Lord is to them a Reproach, they have no Delight in it. C Am I therefore become your Enemy, becaufe I tell you the Truth? d Give Inftruction to a wife Man, and he will be yet wifer; teach a juft Man, and he will increafe in Learning. e Wo unto you, that have taken away the Key of Knowledge: ye entred not in your felves, and them that were entring in ye hindred. f Exhort one another daily, while Admonition. it is called to Day; left any of you be hardned, through the Deceitfulness of Sin. Be not negligent to put one another always in remembrance of these things, which pertain unto Life, and Godliness, tho' ye know them, and be established in the prefent Truth. 2 2 Tim. 2. 25. Job 6. 24. Prov. 22. 21. If 29. 24. Mat. 7. 6 Jer. 6. 10. Job 6. 25 eLuke 11. sz. d Prov. 9. 9. L f Gal. 4. 16. Heb. 3. 13. a Ye; a Ye, also, that are ful! of Goodnefs, and fil ed with all Knowledge, admonish one another. b If any Man obey not the Word of God, note that Man, and have no Company with him, that he may be ashamed; yet count him not as an Enemy, but admonish him as a Brother. c Warn them that are unruly. d We must all appear before the Judgmentfeat of Chrift, that every one may receive according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the Terror of the Lord, we perfuade Men. e Thou shalt in any wife rebuke thy Reproof. Neighbour, and not fuffer Sin upon him. f Reprove not a Scorner, left he hate thee. Rebuke a wife Man, and he will love thee. g He that refuseth Reproof, erreth. He that hateth Reproof, is brutish: But he that regardeth Reproof fhall be honoured. h He that, being often reproved, hardneth his Neck, fhall fuddenly be destroyed, and that without Remedy. i He that rebuketh a Man, afterwards, shall find more Favour than he that flattereth with his Tongue. k Open Rebuke is better than fecret Love: For, Faithful are the Wounds of a Friend. As an Ornament of fine Gold, fo is a wife Reprover upon an obedient Ear. a Let the righteous fmite me, it fhall be a Kindnefs; and, let him reprove me, it fhall be an excellent Oil, which fhall not break my Head. b A Scorner loveth not one that reproveth him; neither will he go unto the Wife. He that reproveth a Scorner, getteth to himfelf Shame. d A Reproof entreth more into a wife Man, than a hundred Stripes into a Fool. e Give none Offence, neither Giving no Offence. to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. f Let no Man put a Stumbling-block, or an occafion to fall, in his Brother's way. g Take heed, left by any means your Liberty become a Stumbling-block to them that are weak. h Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye, but not to doubtful Difputations. i It is good, neither to eat Flesh, nor to drink Wine, nor any thing, whereby thy Brother ftumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak: For if any Man fee thee, which haft Knowledge, do fuch things, fhall not the Confcience of him that is weak be emboldned to do the fame? and, through thy Knowledge, fhall the weak Brother sperish, for whom Chrift died? k If, therefore, thy Brother be grieved with thy Meat; now walkeft thou not charitably deftroy not him with thy Meat, for whom Chrift died: a pf. 141. 5. d Prov. 17. 10. S1.Cor. 8. 9. I Cor. 8, 10, 11. b. Prov. 15. 12. I Cor. 1o. 32. Rom. 14. IS. © Prov. 9. 7. a When a When ye fin fo against the Brethren, and wound their weak Confcience, ye fin against Chrift. b Haft thou Faith? Have it to thy felf, before God. All things indeed are pure; but it is Evil for that Man who eateth with Offence. c Woe unto him that giveth his Neighbour Drink; that putteft thy Bottel to him, and makeft him drunk. d Whofo caufeth the righteous to go aftray, in an evil Way, he fhall fall himself into his own Pit. Setting a good e Be thou an Example of the Believers, in Word, in Converfation, in Charity, in Faith, in Purity. The DUTIES of HUSBANDS and WIVES. Husbands. f When Woman was taken out of Man; and, afterwards, brought unto the Man to be an Help meet for him: Adam faid, This is now Bone of my Bones, and Flesh of my Flesh. Therefore fhall a Man leave his Father and his Mother, and fhall cleave unto his Wife; and they fhall be one Flesh. 8 He which made them at the beginning, made them Male and Female; and faid, For this Caufe fhall a Man leave Father and Mother, and shall cleave to his Wife; and they twain shall be one Flesh. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one Flesh: What therefore God hath joined together, let no Man put afunder. a Mofes, because of the Hardness of their Hearts, fuffered the Jews to give a Writing of Divorcement, and to put away their Wives; but from the beginning it was not fo. And, Chrift now fays unto us, whofoever fhall put away his Wife, except it be for Fornication, caufeth her to commit Adultery: And, if he fhall marry another, he committeth Adultery; And, whofoever fhall marry her that is put away, or divorced, committeth Adultery. b If any Brother have a Wife that believeth not, and the be pleafed to dwell with him, let him not put her away: For, how knoweft thou, O Man, whether thou fhalt fave thy Wife? Husbands, love your Wives, and be not bitter against them. d Let every one of you in particular, fo love his Wife even as himfelf. So ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies: He that loveth his Wife, loveth himself; for no Man ever yet hated his own Flesh, but nourisheth and cherifheth it, even as the Lord the Church. e Husbands, love your Wives, even as Chrift alfo loved the Church, and gave himself for it: For we are Members of his Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bones. For this Caufe fhall a Man leave his Father and Mother, and shall be joined unto his Wife, and they two fhall be one Flesh. f Ye Hufbands, dwell with your Wives, according to Knowledge, giving Honour unto the Wife, as unto the weaker Veffel, and, as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life. a Mat. 19. 8, 7, 8, 9. Mat. 5. 32. Mat. 19. 9. Mat. 5. 32. d Eph. 5. 332 I Pet. 3.7. a Drink Eph. 5. 25, 30, 31. |