An Extract from HUGH BINNING.
“Laying aside all malice, and all guile and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (I Peter ii, 1).
TRULY, evil speaking of our brethren, though it may be true, yet it proceeds out of the abundance of these in the heart—of guile, hypocrisy and envy. While we catch at a name of piety from censuring others, and build our own estimation upon the ruins of another’s good name, hypocrisy and envy are too predominant. If we would indeed grow in grace by the word, and taste more how gracious the Lord is, we must lay these aside, and become as little children, without guile, and without gall. Many account it excuse enough, that they did not invent evil tales, or were not the first broachers of them; but the Scripture joins both together—the man that shall abide in His tabernacle must neither vent nor invent them, neither cast them down nor take them up: “He backbiteth not with his tongue, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour,” (Ps. xv, 3); or “receives not,” or “endures not,” as in the margin; he neither gives it nor receives it; hath not a tongue to speak of other’s faults, nor an ear to hear them; indeed he hath a tongue to confess his own, and an open ear to hear another confess his faults, according to that precept, “Confess your faults one to another.” We are forbidden to have much society or fellowship with tale-bearers; and it is added, Prov. xx, 19: “And meddle not with such as flatter with their mouth,” as indeed commonly they who reproach the absent, flatter the present; a back-biter is a face-flatterer, and therefore, we should not only not meddle with them, but drive them away as enemies to human society. Charity would in such a case protect itself, if I may so say, by an angry countenance, an appearance of anger and real dislike; as the north wind drives away rain, so that entertainment would drive away a back-biting tongue, (Prov. xxv, 23). If we do discountenance it, back-biters will be discouraged to open their pack of news and reports; and, indeed, the receiving readily of evil reports of brethren, is a partaking with the unfruitful works of darkness, which we should rather reprove, (Eph. v, 11). To join with the teller is to complete the evil report; for if there were no receiver, there would be no teller, no tale-bearer. “Charity covers a multitude of sins,” (I Peter iv, 8); and, therefore, “above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves,” says he. What is above prayer and watching unto the end—above sobriety? Indeed, in reference to fellowship with God these are above all; but, in relation to comfortable fellowship one with another in this world, this is above all, and the crown or cream of other graces. He whose sins are covered by God’s free love, cannot think it hard to spread the garment of his love over his brother’s sins. Hatred stirreth up strife, all uncharitable affections, as envy, wrath; it stirreth up contentions, and blazeth abroad men’s infirmities. But love covereth all sins, concealeth them from all to whom the knowledge of them doth not belong, (Prov. x, 12). Love in a manner suffers not itself to know what it knoweth, or at least to remember it much; it will sometimes hoodwink itself to a favourable construction; it will pass by an infirmity, and mistake it, but many stand still and commune with it; but he that covereth a transgression seeks love to bury offences in. Silence is a notable means to preserve concord, and beget true amity and friendship. The keeping of faults long above ground unburied, doth make them cast forth such an evil savour that will ever part friends. Therefore, says the wise man, “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love, but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends,” (Prov. xvii, 9). Covering faults Christianly will make a stranger a friend, but repeating and blazing of them, will make a friend not only a stranger, but an enemy. Yet this is nothing to the prejudice of that Christian duty of reproving and admonishing one another. “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them,” (Eph. v, 11). Love commands to reprove “in the spirit of meekness,” (Gal. vi, 1), as a man would restore an arm out of joint; “And, therefore, thou shalt not hate him in thy heart, but shalt in any wise reprove him and not suffer sin upon him,” (Lev. xix, 17). And he that reproveth his brother after this manner from love, and in meekness and wisdom, shall afterwards find more favour of him than he that flatters with his tongue, (Prov. xxviii, 23).