5. Another sin of omission which frequently brings the soul of a believer into darkness, is the neglect of what was so strongly enjoined, even under the Jewish dispensation, _Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him: Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart_. Now if we do _hate our brother in our heart_, if we do not _rebuke_ him when we see him in a fault, but _suffer sin upon him_: this will soon bring leanness into our own soul: seeing hereby we are _partakers of_ his _sin_. By neglecting to reprove our neighbour, we make his sin our own. We become accountable for it to God: we saw his danger, and gave him no warning. So, _if he perish in his iniquity_, God may justly _require his blood at_ our _hands_. No wonder then if by thus grieving the Spirit, we lose the light of his countenance. 6. A third cause of our losing this, is the giving way to some kind of _inward sin_. For example: we know every one that is _proud in heart is an abomination to the_ Lord: and that, although this pride of heart should not appear in the outward conversation. Now how easily may a soul filled with peace and joy, fall into this snare of the devil? How natural is it for him to imagine, that he has more grace, more wisdom or strength than he really has? To _think more highly of himself than he ought to think_? How natural, to glory in something he has received, as if he had not received it? But seeing God continually _resisteth the proud, and giveth grace_ only _to the humble_, this must certainly obscure, if not wholly destroy the light which before shone on his heart. 7. *The same effect may be produced by giving place to anger, whatever the provocation or occasion be: yea, though it were coloured over with the name of _zeal_ for the truth, or for the glory of God. Indeed all zeal which is any other than the flame of love, is _earthly, animal, devilish_. It is the flame of wrath: It is flat, sinful anger, neither better, nor worse. And nothing is a greater enemy to the mild, gentle love of God than this: they never did, they never can, subsist together in one breast. In the same proportion as this prevails, love and joy in the Holy Ghost decrease. This is particularly observable in the case of _offence_, I mean, anger at any of our brethren, at any of those who are united with us either by civil or religious ties. If we give way to the spirit of offence but one hour, we lose the sweet influences of the Holy Spirit: so that instead of amending them we destroy ourselves, and become an easy prey to any enemy that assaults us.