Page images
PDF
EPUB

ftles, who went about teaching and doing good, that what they taught was a Turbulent and Seditious Religion, and that they themfelves, the publishers of it, were the Difturbers of States and Kingdoms, and the known Destroyers, wherefoever they came, of the common Peace and Quiet of Mankind. Thus the Jews at the preaching of St Paul at Theffalonica, tho' they themselves were in an open Ryot, for They took unto them, as the Text fays, Acts 17. 5. certain lewd fellows of the bafer fort, and gatherd a Company, and fet all the City on an Uproar, and affaulted the house of Fafon, yet had the impudence to accufe St Paul and his Fellows of the Crime which they themselves were at that time actually guilty of, crying, These that have turn'd the World upfide down are come hither alfo. But this Charge by which the Gospel of Chrift was at firft fo Blafphem'd, by the unexampled Meekness of our Saviour, and the Peaceablenefs of his Doctrine, and the inoffenfive Carriage of thofe that were the firft Teachers and Learners of it, was visibly confuted and utterly overthrown. And it were devoutly to be wifh'd, that the fame Imputation which in those more pure and early times of Chriftianity was fo notoriously falfe, were not as manifeftly made true in Our time upon whom the Ends of the World are come; that

there

there were nothing of that reftless and perverfe Spirit among us that Delights in Confufion and Disorder, but that we had all carefully and faithfully preferv'd our gracious Lord's laft Legacy which he gave us, when he said, Peace I leave you, and had no need to have been fo earnestly entreated by the Apostle in the latter end of the foregoing verfe and the firft of my Text, I beseech you Brethren, that Ye ftudy to be Quiet.

Muft we then be fo paffionatly urg'd, muft we be befeech'd to be Quiet? What is there that for its own fake feems to be more Defireable? Muft we make it a Study to be Quiet? What is there that at first fight feems to be more eafy? Yet how amiable foever this Duty is, fuch is the general Neglect of it, that it may feem reafonable to exhort, and to prefs, and beseech Men to it; how eafy foever it feems, yet it is really fo hard that it may well require out utmost Endeavour and Study to perform it.

I fhall therefore Firft fhew wherein this Duty confifts, and what may be understood by our Studying to be quiet, and to Do our Own bufineß, with fome directions relating to the Practice of this Duty.

II. Lay

II. Lay before you the advantages that accrew from the right obferving of this. Precept of the Apoftle, both to our Private Selves and to the Publick.

Firft then, to Study to be Quiet may imply an earnest and fincere endeavour to bring our Minds to that gentle and ferene, and truly Chriftian temper, that neither any inward commotions of diforderly paffions, or irregular defires, nor any outward contingencys or affaults of Fortune can be able to discompose. To work in ourselves an unconcernedness for all other things but the things that belong unto our Peace, Το put ourselves out of the reach of being difturb'd, by rightly judging nothing on this fide Heaven confiderable enough to make us uneafy or forfeit our Quiet for it; To fit ourselves by thus abftracting our Thoughts from the Noife and Trouble, and Strife and Bufinefs, and Vanity of the World, for a Communication and Entercourfe with God and the Peaceful Spirits above. For in none but Minds thus compos'd and Even do the bright Reflections of the Deity and Angels fhine: as in a Calm and Smooth River all the Beautys of the Heavens, the Sun, or Stars appear in all their Luftre and equally almost delight us when reflected there, as when we see them shining in the Firmament

above;

above; but if the leaft Storm or roughness come, all the glorious Images are immediately defac'd and disappear. This is the moft Happy and moft defireable State that can on Earth be obtain'd, this is that peace which the World cannot give, that which paffeth all Understanding, which it is easier for thofe that Enjoy it to Feel and Experiment than to Exprefs, this is that which so notoriously distinguishes the Good Man from the Wicked, The Wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot reft, whofe Waters caft up Mire and Dirt, there is no peace, faith my God, to the Wicked. Ifaiah 57. the two laft Verses. But left this should be thought an Idle and Contemplative Study only, an unactive Stupidity and unconcern'dness of Mind as the Stoicks, or fuch an Enthufiaftic fort of Quiet as Molinus and his Followers, who have from it form'd to themselves a New Sect and Name, pretend to: The Studying to be Quiet principally intended by the Apoftle is in the next words explain'd by Doing your own busineß, agreeable to what elsewhere he commands, That with Quietneß ye work. For it is nothing else but Idleness that hinders Men from being Quiet, nor any fort of Idlenefs fo troublesom as that against which St Paul chiefly feems here to caution his Theffalonians, among whom he had heard, as he tells them in the next Epiftle (the

(the 3d Chapter and the 11th Verfe) there were fome that walked diforderly working not at all, but were busy bodies, and whom therefore he befeeches here as Brethren, and with them all good Christians Quietly to do their own business, not Impertinently or Uncharitably meddling with that of their Neighbours, nor impudently prefuming to thrust themselves uncall'd, into that of the Publick. For the Original Word will bear both these Senfes, and Ta ide as it fignifies a Mans own proper affairs, fo alfo it as well may fignify Private bufinefs in Oppofition to Publick business and affairs of State.

I fhall very briefly give you the Character of both these fort of Bufybodys, with fome cautions against the mischief of each of their Practices.

There is no Creature fo generally defpis'd and hated, and raill'd at, as a Meddler in other Mens matters, and yet how few are there that are Innocent enough in this point as to be able to juftify themselves in cafting the first Stone? or perceive that in aiming at others they may not hit themselves? fince in fome degree or other most Men are guilty of the Vanity at least, if not of the Sin, of this impertinent humour of troubl ing themselves with things wherein they have no manner of concern. There are as many forts of these Busybodies as there

are

« PreviousContinue »