ftandings, which are ufual on fuch occafions; I thought I could not do better, than to difcourfe to you upon a fubject that might be of fome ufe to temper and allay them; and to difpofe you towards fuch a peaceable state of mind, as becomes thofe, who are about to chuse a minister of the gofpel of peace.

Ifhall difcourfe first to you of the argument at large, and then apply it to the particular occafion for which I have chofen it. What I have to say on these words, muft naturally fall under thefe four heads following:

I. First, Here is a command enjoined, to live peaceably.

II. Secondly The utmost limits and extent of that command are fet down; we muft live peaceably with all men.

III. Thirdly, The great difficulty of fo doing, is allowed and expreffed: If it be poffible, fays St. Paul, and as much as in you lies; intimating, that, in refpect of fome tempers, and in fome circumftances, it is fcarce poffible, though we do all that in us lies, to effect it. To which I fhall add in the

IV. Fourth and laftPlace, fome familiar helps and directions, that may be of ufe to affift us towards performing it.

I. As to the First of thefe, the precept here given of living peaceably, I need not ufe many words

words to tell you what it is; it is easily and uni verfally understood: Would to God, it were but as univerfally practifed! And then fuch exhortations as thefe would be needlefs! But though an account of the duty may not be requifite, to inform even the meaneft and moft ignorant Chriftian, yet it may be of ufe to bring to his mind what he already knows, and to awaken in him fenfible and lively impreffions of it; And to that end, I fhall, in a very brief and plain manner, defcribe it.

To live peaceably, is fo to demean ourselves in all the offices and stations of life, as to promote a friendly understanding and correfpondence among those we converfe with: fo as to prevent, as much as we can, all outward contention and strife, nay, all inward mistakes and jealoufies from arifing, and to quench and allay them as foon we can, whenever they are arifen; fo, as to difagree openly with no man in things of an indifferent nature, and of no moment; and, where the point is of importance enough to deferve to be infifted · on, there to do it, with fo much candor, and modefty, and sweetness, as not to offend even those we do not agree with. In a word, it is fo to conduct our actions, discourses, and dealings, as to make ourfelves and others as eafy as is poffible. Variz ous are the inftances of this duty; fome influen cing our behaviour with relation to the public, fome towards private men; fome regarding opinions, and fome regulating our practice; fome taking place in matters of civil life, and fome in the concerns of religion. They live peaceably with VOL. IV.

refpect to the public, А а

who

who pay a due regard to the laws of their country, and express a due reverence towards their 'uperiors; honouring them fincerely, obeying them fubmiffively; nor rafhly cenfuring their actions, but putting the best and most candid conftruction upon them; not being over bufy in matters that are too high for them, and do not concern them.

They live peaceably in religious matters, who, on the one fide, are contented to enjoy their own opinions, without arraigning their fuperiors in church and state for being otherwise minded; and without difturbing the public peace, in order to propagate their tenets, and make profelytes; and who, on the other fide, do not, by unjuftifiable methods of feverity, force men into the profeffion of what they difbelieve; whofe zeal for their faith never makes them forget their temper, nor outrun the bounds, of Chriftian goodness and pru dence; who make great allowances for the weaknefs of men's reafon and the ftrength of their prejudices, and condemn not all as infincere, who are not fo enlightened as they are; but leave them to ftand or fall to their own mafter; praying for them in the mean time, that they may come to the knowledge of the truth, and endeavouring by all gentle perfuafive methods to reclaim them

Finally, They live peaceably in matters of common life and daily practice, who take care to make their carriage inoffenfive, obliging; who are not ready to entertain ill reports of men, much lefs to difperfe them; who whisper about nothing to fet friends and neighbours at variance; who mind their own bufinefs, without intermeddling much in the concerns of others; who can take a

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flight affront or injury in converfation without resenting it, and even a great one without return❤ ing it.

But I forbear to give any further defcription of so known a duty; and go on to confider, in the

II Second place, the extent of it: it muft be practifed towards all men: Not only towards those who are in good terms with us, but towards those who are not; not only to good-natured and candid, but even to the captious and froward. For, as our Saviour argues in a like cafe, if you live peaceably with them only, who live peaceably with you," what thank have you! Do not even finners the fame?" Matt. v. 46. The worft, and worst-natured men will go thus far: For there is no temptation to break peace with those who live inoffenfively with us, no room fər contention with the mild and complying; the trial of our temper is, when fhocking accidents happen to us, when ill words are given us; when we are touched in point of intereft and honour or in any other refpects drawn into a difpute, and forced to engage: Then, to bear oppofition meekly, to ward off the anger of our adverfaries by difcreet and dextrious addrefs; to keep ourfelves free from the contagion of that paffion and that refentment which reigns in them, or free at Icaft from the outward and visible fings of it, this is no vulgar attainment, but a very great pitch of Christian perfection. And the apoftle therefore, at the very time he is giving the precept, acknowledges the great difficulty that there is fometimes A a 2

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in obeying it: If it be poffible, fay he, and as much as in you lies; intimating, as I faid, that in respect of fome natures, and in fome circumstances, it is scarce poffible, though we do whatever in us lies, to come up to it.

III. And this is the Third thing I undertook to explain. :

To "live peaceably with all men,” in the strict eft fenfe of the words, is a thing abfolutely impoffible, and out of our reach; for it depends upon what we are not mafters of, the difpofitions and paffions of other men. Let us take what care we can to prevent mistakes, they will fometimes arife; let us with never fo much caution avoid doing injuries, we cannot always avoid receiving them; fome churlish and favage natures there are, that delight in outrages, and are moved with no condefcenfions, no compliances: " fuch fons of "belial" (as was faid of Nabal) “ that a man "cannot speak to them," 1 Sam. xxv. 17. Where violent encroachments are made upon our fortune or good name, we not only nay, but muft vindicate ourselves from them, though breach of peace, and an open rupture with any man, attend our doing it. Slight affronts, and small injuftices, we may put up with; but where we are wounded to the quick, either in our eftate, or reputation, we are not at liberty to be filent: To be upon our defence in fuch cafes, is a debt we owe to ourselves, pur pofterity, our relations, and friends, who have all an intereft in us.

When the cause of true religion fuffers from the tongues or pens of libertines and unbelievers;

when