.

vernment, not fpeaking evil of dignities, or factioufly cenfuring and railing at either the prince, or thofe in the adminiftration under him. For that law in the book of Exodus, *Thou shalt not revile the judges, (fo the margin of our Bible reads it) nor curfe the ruler of thy people, is certainly of a moral nature, and ftill in force, and as fuch the Apoftle + cites it; all governments being alike difturbed and injured by fuch unpeaceable and feditious practices.

(4) IN avoiding as much as poffible the engaging himfelf in any party, be the name or the pretences of it what they will. This fatal diftinction by ftate parties (cherished by fuch as find their own private intereft, and make their way to advancement by impofing upon well-meaning people) is of the laft ill confequence both to truth and peace. To truth, as when men are once throughly engaged on fuch or such a fide, and have lifted themfelves under a name (according as the distinction goes) being deluded into it by the intrigues and plaufible ftories and fuggeftions of fuch as have a turn to be ferved, and want a fett of tools to ferve it, their minds are effectually prejudiced, and their ears are ftopped to all reprefentations, however true and juft they may be, of the ill defigns or errors of thofe of that party which they have embraced, and to all the generous and good defigns of the other which they have taken againft. All the virtues of their own fide are magnified, all their fuggeftions, true or falfe, have credit with them, and all their faults are difbelieved; and by a like prepoffeffion the adverfe party is run down, difcredited, and condemned at all adventures: infomuch that partiality, which is the proper word to express the temper we have here defcribed, has taken its very

* Exod. xxii. 28.

† Acts xxiii. 5.

name

The

name from party, and thereby fufficiently juftifies our application, which daily experience alfo fhews to be true in fact. And that all this must be a mighty prejudice to peace as well as truth, will not need many words to prove. For do we not every day behold the effects of it in the reftlefs contrivances of either party to put down the other and advance it felf, and that not without frequent convulfions in the ftate, and apparent hazard to the publick welfare, the most bitter animofities amongst private perfons, alienation of love and friendship amongft relations and old acquaintance, reproaches, malicious offices, fcurrilous libels, riots, and in fhort a wretched train of mifchiefs, which difgrace religion, disturb the peace of the kingdom, and tend to overthrow the government. peaceable man therefore wifely fees this and avoids it. He is either of no party at all, or, if this be next to impoffible, and he fees reafon to think better of one party than of another, and to conduct. himself accordingly, he will never go along with it in heat and paffion, he will impartially confider every thing, fufpend his belief of many things alledged on either fide, and act only fo far with any as in his cool and real judgment he thinks is moft for the fervice and fafety of his country; for let him have what inclination he will toward one party more than the other, he makes not their little interefts or example his rule, but follows them no farther than they pursue the publick good, and carries kindly and obligingly, peaceably and charitably, to all without diftinction.

(5) THIS peaceable difpofition, with respect to the state, will express it felf in frequent and hearty prayers for the peace and welfare of the publick. St. Paul exprefly calls us to it, when he exhorts, *That fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giv

* 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

L 4

ing

*

CHAP. VII. ing of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honefty. The Ifraelites were all called upon by David, To pray for the peace of Jerufalem; and even in the captivity of the Jews at Babylon, Jeremiah requires them even tot feek the peace of that city, where they were detained as captives, and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof, fays he, ye fhall have peace. We have now done with the character of the peace-maker, as a member of civil government, or publick focieties. We muft look upon him,

FOURTHLY, As he is in a particular neighbourhood, or private relation. And here he is to be confidered,

1. As a maker of peace, a third person endeavouring to reconcile the differences of others, and to draw them as near in kindness and friendship, as they are in their dwellings and condition. And this he does,

(1.) By perfuafion, by using the interest he has in the perfons who are at difference (or in others, who may with better advantage make the fame representations to them) to settle a right understanding one of another; for many quarrels arife from mere mistakes, without any juft and real offence offered on either hand, but only fuppofed and fancied, till pride and jealoufy feeding upon that fuppofition, exceedingly magnify the thing, and inflame the refentment. In this cafe, the peacemaker lays open the true ftate of the matter, and ftripping it of the difguife which felf-love, prejudice, and paffion have involved it in, he fhews them both their error; that there was really nothing of fubftance in the prefumed offence, and that † Jer. xxix. 7.

*Pfal. cxxii. 6.

therefore

therefore it ought not to be infifted upon. But then, because every difference does not arise from miftake, but fometimes juft occafions of offence are given; in this cafe he endeavours to make the of fending party fenfible of what he has done; to convince him of the affront or injury, and of the evil of it; of the breach of duty he has been guilty of, not only toward his neighbour, but to God alfo, and makes him ready to humble himself, to acknowledge his fault, and to defire reconciliation and amity; while on the other hand he prepares the party offended to receive him, upon these terms, into his charity and friendship, by telling him the duties of forgiveness, the refemblance which fuch a generous temper bears to the mercy of God, and the neceffity of it, in order to obtain for himself that mercy.

(2.) BECAUSE perfuafion will not always do, the peace-maker is ready to take the trouble of arbitration, to compromise the matter, by giving his own pofitive judgment and opinion, where both parties are willing to rest satisfied with it, and refer themfelves to him. In many differences (though perhaps of little value and concern) there may be fome pretence of reason on both hands. Now if the plaintiff and defendant could be prevailed with by fome charitable neighbours, to put the matter to arbitration, to chufe out by agreement one or more perfons, of whofe understanding and equity they have a good opinion, who fhould fully hear the cafe betwixt them, and decide it privately by an award, to which both parties fhould oblige themfelves to ftand; it would be a very great office of peace and good nature, both in those who take the pains to perfuade them to fo wife a method, and in thofe alfo who accept the truft of fuch a reference, and take upon them to determine the quarrel. This would be a means to ftop a thousand of those trifling

trifling and contentious fuits which are daily profecuted, to the great difhonour of our courts of juftice, and the great and needlefs expence of those who fue and who are fued. Befide, that a publick determination in courfe of law, however it may decide the action, leaves the contending parties ftill unclosed, and at a distance in the point which is of most importance, their charity and inward fentiments; which is a thing may better be effected by the private peace-maker. For experience fhews, that when men once begin to contend, and fue openly, their malice grows with their expence; and whatever becomes of their caufe, they are.refolved never to be friends again: But when a difference has been amicably taken up by the interpofition of friends, who with wifdom and gentlenefs moderate in the affair, they fhall presently love one another as well, if not better than before. But the peace-maker, in this cafe, is to govern himfelf by these measures. He is not to be over-bufie, to thrust himself too far into things wherein (without due invitation) he is not concern'd. He is not to affect the office in a way of pride and oftentation, but modeftly and humbly to offer himself, or to accept it, being offered, as a part of chriftian duty, which in the fight and fear of God he is to execute. And lastly, he must not be partial, but confider the merits of the caufe on both fides, with all poffible candour and integrity. I pafs now on to the fecond confideration of him,

2. As one of a peaceable difpofition and behaviour towards all who are about him. "Tis a melancholy thing to look into fome families, and fee them perpetually embroil'd in quarrels and divifions within themselves; to look into fome neighbourhoods, towns, or parishes, and obferve one family or perfon maintaining hatred and difguft against another, and this fo frequent as it is in many inftances; to

fee