in proportion to its capacity and exercife thereof: a man SERM. doth abundantly enjoy himfelf in that fteady compofed- XXVIII. nefs, and favoury complacence of mind, which ever doth attend it; and as the prefent fenfe, fo is the memory of it, or the good confcience of having done good, very delicious and fatisfactory.

As it is a rafcally delight (tempered with regret, and vanishing into bitternefs) which men feel in wreaking spite, or doing mischief; fuch as they cannot reflect upon without difguft and condemning their base impotency of foul: fo is the pleasure which charity doth breed altogether pure, grateful to the mind, and increafing by reflection; never perifhing or decaying; a man eternally enjoying the good he hath done, by remembering and ruminating thereon. In fine,

be

XX. Whereas the great obftacle to charity is felf-love, or an extravagant fondnefs of our own interefts, yet uncharitableness destroyeth that: for how can we love ourfelves, if we do want charity? how can we appear lovely to ourselves, if we are deftitute of fo worthy an endowment? or if we can difcern those unworthy difpofitions, which accompany the defect of it; can we efteem fo mean, fo vile, fo ugly things as we then are? Aristotle faith, that bad men cannot be friends to themselves, caufe having in themselves nothing amiable, they can feel ovdiv qianno affection toward themselves; and certainly, if we are ἐθὲν φιλικὸν not ftark blind, or can but fee wrath, fpite, envy, revenge rárXVI. in their own black and ugly hue, we muft needs (if.4. they do poffefs our fouls) grow odious and despicable to ourfelves. And being they do rob us of so many great benefits, and bring fo many grievous mifchiefs on us, we cannot be otherwise than enemies to ourselves by cherishing them, or fuffering them to lodge in us.

These are some very confiderable inducements to the practice of this great virtue; there are divers others of a higher nature, derivable from the inmoft bowels of our religion, grounded on its peculiar conftitution and obligations, which I fhall now forbear to mention, referving them for a particular difcourfe by themselves.

τὸν ἔχοντες,

SERM. O Lord, who haft taught us, that all our doings without XXVIII. charity are nothing worth; fend thy Holy-Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrift's fake.

Quinquag. Sund.

SERMON XXIX.

OF A PEACEABLE TEMPER AND CARRIAGE.

ROM. xii. 18.

If it be poffible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with

all men.

THIS chapter containeth many excellent precepts and SERM. wholesome advices, (scarce any portion of holy Scripture XXIX. so many in fo little compafs.) From among them I have

fo

felected one, alas, but too seasonable and pertinent to the unhappy condition of our distracted age, wherein to obferve this and fuch like injunctions, is by many esteemed an impoffibility, by others a wonder, by fome a crime. It hath an apt coherence with, yet no neceffary dependence upon, the parts adjoining; whence I may prefume to treat upon it diftinctly by itfelf: and without farther preface or circumftance we may confider several particulars therein.

I. And firft, concerning the advice itself, or the subftance of the duty charged on us, eignveúew, (to be in peace, or live peaceably,) we may take notice, that whether, according to the more ufual acception, it be applied to the public eftate of things, or, as here, doth relate only to private conversation, it doth import,

1. Not barely a negation of doing, or fuffering harm, or an abftinence from ftrife and violence, (for a mere ftrangeness this may be, a want of occafion, or a truce, rather than a peace,) but a pofitive amity, and disposition to perform fuch kind offices, without which good correspondence among men cannot fubfift. For they who by

SERM. reafon of distance of place, non-acquaintance, or defect of XXIX. opportunity, maintain no intercourfe, cannot properly be faid to be in peace with one another: but thofe who have frequent occafion of commerce, whose conditions require interchanges of courtefy and relief, who are fome way obliged and difpofed to afford needful fuccour, and safe retreat to each other; these may be faid to live in peace together, and thefe only, it being in a manner impoffible, that they who are not difpofed to do good to others (if they have power and opportunity) fhould long abstain from doing harm.

2. Living peaceably implies not fome few tranfitory performances, proceeding from cafual humour, or the like; but a constant, ftable, and well-fettled condition of being; a continual ceffation from injury, and promptitude to do good offices. For as one blow doth not make a battle, nor one skirmish a war; fo cannot fingle forbearances from doing mischief, or fome few particular acts of kindnefs, (fuch as mere ftrangers may afford each other,) be worthily ftyled a being in peace; but an habitual inclination to thefe, a firm and durable estate of innocence and beneficence.

3. Living in peace fuppofes a reciprocal condition of being not only a performing good, and forbearing to do bad offices, but a receiving the like treatment from others. For he, that being affaulted is conftrained to ftand upon his defence, may not be faid to be in peace, though his not being fo (involuntarily) is not to be imputed to

him.

4. Being in peace imports not only an outward ceffation of violence and feeming demonftration of amity, but an inward will and refolution to continue therein. For he that intends, when occafion is presented, to do mischief to another, is nevertheless an enemy, because more fecret and dangerous: an ambufcado is no lefs a piece of war, than confronting the enemy in open field. Proclaiming and denouncing fignify, but good and ill intention conftitute, and are the fouls of peace and war. From thefe confiderations we may infer a defcription of being in

peace, viz. that it is, to bear mutual good-will, to con- SERM. tinue in amity, to maintain good correfpondence, to be XXIX. upon terms of mutual courtesy and benevolence; to be difpofed to perform reciprocally all offices of humanity; affistance in need, comfort in forrow, relief in distress; to please and satisfy one another, by advancing the innocent delight, and promoting the juft advantage of each other; to converfe with confidence and fecurity, without fufpicion, on either hand, of any fraudulent, malicious, or hurtful practices against either: or, negatively, not to be in a state of enmity, perfonal hatred, pertinacious anger, jealoufy, envy, or ill-will; not to be apt to provoke, to reproach, to harm or hinder another, nor to have reafonable grounds of expecting the fame bad ufage from others; to be removed from danger of vexatious quarrels, intercourfe of odious language, offending others, or being difquieted one's felf. This I take to be the meaning of living or being in peace, differing only in degree of obligation, and latitude of object, from the ftate of friendship properly so called, and opposed to a condition of enmity, defiance, contention, hatred, fufpicion, animofity.

13.

II. In the next place we may confider the object of this duty, fignified in thofe words, With all men. We often meet in Scripture with exhortations directed peculiarly to Christians, to be at peace among themselves; as Mark ix. 5. our Saviour lays this injunction upon his difciples, sipnDEÚETE Év άλλýλois, Have peace one with another; inculcated by St. Paul upon the Theffalonians in the fame words: 1 Theff. v. and the like we have in the fecond Epiftle to Timothy, chap. ii. ver. 22. Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart: and to the Romans, (xiv. 19.) Let us therefore follow after the Vid. Eph. things that make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. But here the duty hath a more large and comprehenfive object; wávτes äv&pwо, all men: as likewife it hath in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, chap. xii. ver. 14. Purfue peace with all men with all men, without any exception, with men of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Barbarians; of all fects and religions; per

iv. 3.