confidering, that 'tis our Duty to resign ourfelves up wholly to the Disposal of Providence, that orders all things most Wisely, and for our Good; to ftand still and fee the Salvation of the Lord, to be thankfull for the great Deliverances he has already wrought, not in the leaft miftrufting his Fatherly Care of us, and a Continuation of these or greater Bleffings from Him, the gracious Dispenser of all that we have receiv'd before.

But have we a Mind to be Happy and Quiet, have we really, as we fo much pretend, a Concern for the Publick Welfare, as well as our Own? let us learn of the Pfalmift how to procure both, Pfal. 34. 12. What Man is he that lufteth to live, and would fain Jee good days? Keep thy Tongue from Evil, and thy Lips that they speak no Guile, Efchew Evil and do Good, feek Peace and ensue it. This is admirable and Divine Advice upon this Occafion, Amending our felves by Repentance and a New Life, Efchewing Evil and Doing Good, reforming whatever is amiss in our felves, not cenfuring the Management of Others, especially our Governours; keeping thus our Tongue from Evil, and our Lips, that they jpeak no Guile, is, holy David tells us, the fure and certain Way, to what we fo much defire, to fee good Days. On the contrary, to overlook Our felves, and lay all Miscarriages upon Others, is rather theWay

to

to new Confufions, than Quiet, this being not to Repent, but to make a Satyr.

We are all of us alfo, that wifh well to Sion, that have any regard to the Good of our Church and Nation, earnestly, both in publick and private, to Pray for the Peace of Jerufalem; knowing, that whatever other Endeavours are us'd, God is the only Author of Peace, and Giver of Quiet, according to that of Elihu in Job 34. 29. When He giveth Quietness, who can make Trouble? and when he hideth his Face, who can behold Him? whether it be done against a Nation, or a Man only? If therefore every one of Us would ufe but our fingle Endeavours, if we would turn each from his own Wickedness, and do that which is lawfull and right; and if, to these Endeavours, we would join our moft hearty and fervent Prayers to God, we fhould no doubt find, and to our Comfort experience, that the Lord is True, whofe Promise it is, Ifaiah 32. 17. And the Work of Righteoufnefs fhall be Peace, and the Effect of Righteousness, Quietness and Assurance for ever. And my People ball dwell in a peaceable Habitation, and in fure Dwellings, and in quiet refting Places.

II. Which leads me to fhew, Secondly, the Advantages of this Duty of being Quiet, and that briefly; because in what has already

been

been faid, the Excellence and Ufefullness of it has been plainly fet forth, or at leaft hinted at. We read in the 19th Chapter of the 1st of Kings, that when God manifefted himself to hisProphet Elijah, in Mount Horeb, a great and ftrong Wind rent the Mountains, and brake in pieces the Rocks before him, but the Lord was not in the Wind; and after the Wind an Earthquake, but the Lord was not in the Earthquake; and after the Earthquake a Fire, but the Lord was not in the Fire; and after the Fire a Still Small Voice, Then it was that the Prophet was firft fenfible of the Lord's Approach, then he was affur'd that God was there; then it was that he wrapp'd his Face in his Mantle, and went out and receiv'd his Divine Meffage. And in fuch a Gentle and Quiet manner does God ftill love to Difplay himself; not in the Earthquake, the Noife and Tumult, and Fury of publick Distractions; not in the Wind of wild pretended Infpirations, not in the Fire of over-heated and bitter Zeal, but in the ftill calm Voice of peacefull Quietness and Order, is the Lord ftill to be fought and found. The Quiet Mind is allready, as it were, poffefs'd of Heaven, lives allready in that Upper-Region, which the Ancient Poets and Philofophers defcrib'd and fancy'd a fit Habitation for their Gods, where neither Clouds were feen, nor Storms,

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nor Tempests, nor Winds, nor Thunder heard, Pacem fumma tenent, all above was Sereneness and Tranquillity. And indeed of all Other Virtues, either Chriftian or Moral, the Duties, that either by Chriftianity or Morality, we are bound to, none is fo much and fo properly a Reward to itself, as Quietness; It is indeed the Reward of all the Reft, No greater Recompence being poffible to be had, or defir'd upon Earth, for the most Virtuous and Worthy Actions, than that Tranquillity of Spirit, and Eafe of Mind, which the Reflections upon fuch Actions Naturally create. Quiet mult needs be as great a Happiness as our Nature is capable of, fince it is that which Men, in all Conditions, however they differ in their ways to it, profefs to defire and to pursue. Ask the Merchant, why he ventures to Sea, or the Tradefman, why he rifes up early, and goes to Bed late; the Labouring Man, why he eats the Bread of carefulness and forrow? Ask all the different Sorts of the Bufy-Men of the World, what they aim at with fo much Danger and Trouble? and they with one Mouth will confefs, that the end of all this Toyland Buftle, is only to gain wherewithall to be at laft at Reft. So that if we will believe their own Confeffions, The Business of all Mankind is but Studying to be Quiet. That therefore, for the fake of which, all

our

our other Actions are, muft needs be more Excellent,than all the means that are us'd to attain it. Neither is Quiet the End only of all our most laudable Endeavours, but a great means alfo, and furtherance to the accomplishing the most Glorious Undertakings. The Greatest Actions, and thofe that have most durable Effects, are produc'd by Quier and Order; for Noise and Vehemence disturb and hinder Bufinefs, and Violence is never lafting. The Health of the Body confifts in the quiet and orderly Temper of it, and every Member's performing its ownOffice; the Health of the Mind,in the undisturb'd Evennefs and Calmness,whereby every Faculty is at leifure to be regularly employ'd on its proper Objects. The fame happens to publick Bodies, whether in Ecclefiaftical, or Civil, or Military Affairs. Of all which the peaceable Subordination, and the quiet Obedience, that every Member fhews in moving in its proper Place and Sphere, and fo doing its own Bufinefs, is the only Strength and Beauty, and Health. All Commotions are unnatural, they are Diseases, and generally end in the Death and Diffolution of the whole Frame. Thus we fee, that without Quiet, neither our Bodies, nor our Minds, nor publick Societies, nor Government it felf, can Subfift. And furely, this Duty of Studying to be Quiet, if it were as well by us obferv'd

as