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ness in others, and so fulfilling the highest duties of Christian charity; of successfully advising and admonishing others; of instructing their ignorance, removing their prejudices, reclaiming them from vice, and reconciling them to virtue: this subject enlarged on.

8. We are bound thereto in compliance with, and conformity to the best patterns; God, Christ, the Apostles, and the primitive saints: this point illustrated at large.

Since therefore, on so many accounts, we are obliged to this universal benevolence and charity, no miscarriages in practice, no ill dispositions of soul, no demerits in himself, no discourtesies towards us, ought wholly to alienate our affections from any person, to avert us from doing him good, or incline us to render evil for evil: this point enlarged on.

III. It is briefly considered, whence it comes, that though we do our parts, and perform carefully the duties incumbent on us, we may yet prove unsuccessful in our endeavors to live peaceably, and may be hated, harmed, and disquieted. That it so happens is found by experience and example: instances of Moses and David; of our blessed Saviour himself, and of his faithful Disciples.

This will be found by investigation to proceed chiefly from the exceeding variety, difference, and contrariety of men's dispositions, joined with the morosity, aptness to mistake, envy, or unreasonable perverseness of some; which necessarily render the means of attaining all men's good-will insufficient, and the endeavors unsuccessful: for as men see with such various lights, we can hardly do or say any thing, which, if approved by some, will not be blamed by others: but the fatal rock on which peaceable designs most inevitably split, is the unreasonableness of men's pretences, who will on no terms be friends with us, or allow us their good-will, but on condition of concurring with them in dishonest and unwarrantable practices,

&c. But though peace with men is highly valuable, yet this is nothing in comparison with the favor of God, or the internal satisfaction of conscience: this point enlarged on.

Briefly to induce us to practise this duty of living peaceably, we may consider,

1. How good and pleasant a thing, as David saith, for brethren (and so we all are by nature) to live together in unity: the delight of such intercourse and the absence of distracting cares, passions, and dissensions dilated on.

2. That as nothing is more sweet and delightful, so nothing is more comely and agreeable to human nature than peaceable living, it being, as Solomon observes, an honor to a man to cease from strife; and consequently a disgrace to him to continue therein.

3. How that peace with its near allies, its causes and effects, love, meekness, gentleness, and patience, are in sacred writ reputed the genuine fruits of the Holy Spirit, issues of divine grace, and the offspring of heavenly wisdom; producing like themselves a goodly progeny of righteous deeds, &c. To close up all, if we must live peaceably and lovingly with all men, then much more are we obliged so to live with all Christians; to whom by nearer and firmer bonds of holy alliance we are related, by more precious communion of faith endeared, by more peculiar obligation of divine commands engaged. Conclusion.

SERMON XXX.

OF A PEACEABLE TEMPER AND CARRIAGE.

ROMANS, CHAP. XII.-VERSE 18.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

I HAVE very lately considered what it is to live peaceably,' and what are the duties included therein; and what means conduce thereto.

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II. I proceed now to consider the object thereof, and why the duty of living peaceably extends to all men,' that is, why we are bound to bear good-will, and do good offices, and show civil respects to all men; and to endeavor that all men reciprocally be well-affected toward us. For it might with some color of reason be objected, and said, why should I be obliged heartily to love those, that desperately hate me; to treat them kindly, that use me despitefully; to help them, that would hinder me; to relieve them, that would plunge me into utter distress; to comfort them, that delight in my affliction; to be respective to, and tender of, their reputation, who despise, defame, and reproach me; to be indulgent and favorable to them, who are harsh and rigorous in their dealings with me; to spare and pardon them, who with implacable malice persecute me? Why should I seek their friendship, who disdainfully reject mine? why prize their favor, who scorn mine? why strive to please them, who purposely offend me? Or why should I have any regard to men, void of all faith, goodness, or desert? And most of all, why should I be bound to maintain amicable

correspondence with those who are professed enemies to piety and virtue, who oppugn truth, and disturb peace, and countenance vice, error, and faction? How can any love, consent of mind, or communion of good offices, intercede between persons so contrarily disposed? I answer, they may, and ought, and that because the obligation to these ordinary performances is not grounded on any peculiar respects, special qualifications, or singular actions of men, (which are contingent and variable,) but on the indefectible score of common humanity. We owe them (as the philosopher alleged, when he dispensed his alms to an unworthy person) οὐ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ· not to the men, but to human nature resident in them. There be indeed divers other sorts of love, in nature and object more restrained, built on narrower foundations, and requiring more extraordinary acts of duty and respect, not competent to all men; as a love of friendship, founded on long acquaintance, suitableness of disposition, and frequent exchanges of mutual kindness; a love of gratitude, due to the reception of valuable benefits; a love of esteem, belonging to persons endued with worth and virtue; a love of relation, resulting from kindred, affinity, neighborhood, and other common engagements. But the love of benevolence, (which is precedent to these, and more deeply rooted in nature, more ancient, more unconfined, and more immutable,) and the duties mentioned consequent on it, are grounded on the natural constitution, necessary properties, and unalterable condition of humanity, and are on several accounts due thereto.

1. On account of universal cognation, agreement, and similitude of nature. For οἰκεῖον ἅπας ἄνθρωπος ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ φίλον· All men naturally are of kin and friends to each other,' saith Aristotle.* Et fratres etiam vestri sumus jure naturæ matris unius; We are also your brethren in the right of nature, our common mother,' saith Tertullian + of old, in the name of the Christians to the Heathens. We are but several streams issuing from one primitive source; several branches sprouting from the same stock; several stones hewed out of the same quarry: one substance, by miraculous efficacy of the divine + In Apolog.

8. Etb. cap. 1.

benediction diffused and multiplied. One element affords us matter, and one fire actuates it, kindled at first by the breath of God. One blood flows in all our veins; one nourishment repairs our decayed bodies, and one common air refreshes our languishing spirits. We are cohabitants of the same earth, and fellow-citizens of the same great commonwealth; Unam remp. omnium agnoscimus mundum, said the fore-mentioned apologist for Christianity. We were all fashioned according to the same original idea, (resembling God our common Father,) all endowed with the same faculties, inclinations, and affections; all conspire in the essential and more notable ingredients of our constitution; and are only distinguished by some accidental, inconsiderable circumstances of age, place, color, stature, fortune, and the like; in which we differ as much from ourselves in successions of time. So that what Aristotle said of a friend is applicable to every man; every man is aλλos avròs, another ourself:' and he that hates another, detests his own most lively picture; he that harms another, injures his own nature; he that denies relief to another, starves a member of his own body, and withers a branch of his own tree. The merciful man doeth good to his own soul; but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.' Neither can any personal demerit of vicious habit, erroneous opinion, enormous practice, or signal discourtesy towards us, dissolve these bands: for as no unkindness of a brother can wholly rescind that relation, or disoblige us from the duties annexed thereto; so neither on the faults or injuries of any man can we ground a total dispensation from the offices of humanity, especially if the injuries be not irreparable, nor the faults incurable.

2. We are indispensably obliged to these duties, because the best of our natural inclinations prompt us to the performance of them; especially those of pity and benignity, which are manifestly discernible in all, but most powerful and vigorous in the best natures; and which, questionless, by the most wise and good Author of our beings were implanted therein both as monitors to direct, and as spurs to incite us to the performance of our duty. For the same bowels, that, in our want of necessary sustenance, do by a lively sense of pain inform us thereof, and instigate us to provide against it, do in like manner griev

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