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and charm the most froward humours; especially if we carry ourselves with such prudence and discretion, as may testify that we are actuated by a noble and generous charity, and not by a stupid insensibility. How often does a soft answer turn away wrath? and the overlooking of an injury prevent farther trouble, throwing water upon the spark before it break forth into a flame? Hence, if we look upon meek and quiet persons, we shall ordinarily find them happy in the peace of their families, and favour and kindness of all their neighbours: whereas the angry, quarrelsome, and malicious person, is an eye-sore to all about him; his neighbours shun him, his servants dread him, and all abhor and avoid him. And therefore the observation of this precept of our Lord, is so far from exposing us to new injuries, that by the mercy of God it will prove the best means to secure our tranquillity. Peace shall be the reward of a peaceable temper.

But, lastly, some will tell us, that the love of enemies, and pardoning injuries, is inconsistent with the principles of honour; and will expose us to contempt and derision. But, alas! to what a sad pass are we come, if neither reason nor religion may prescribe the rules of honour; if our notions of it must be taken from the language of the sons of Belial, of strife and violence; if to imitate the Deity in his most glorious attribute of mercy and forgiveness, and become perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect, be accounted a base and dishonourable thing; and if from this vain imaginary fantastic shadow of reputation, we will violate all laws, human and divine, and forfeit eternal happiness. But who are they that will think the worse of you for your patience? Some vain empty fools, some profane atheistical wretches, whose judgments are not valuable, nor their praise worth the having. Or what can they say of you, but that you are meek and lowly,

imitators of that blessed master whom we profess to serve? And why do we own the name of Christians, if we be ashamed of the spirit and life of Christianity? Why do we not call ourselves after the name of Cain, Nimrod, or some other angry and revengeful destroyer, if we esteem those qualities more glorious and excellent? But if we have any deference for so wise a man and great a King as Solomon, he will tell us that, it is the honour of a man to cease from strife; and that he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he who ruleth his spirit, better than he who taketh a city.

Thus you see how unreasonable those prejudices are which keep men from the practice of this necessary duty. It remains now, that we hint at some helps for the performance of it.

The heathens were pretty ingenious in devising motives of patience. They would tell us, that if we were newly offended, it was too soon to resent it; if long time since, it was too late. If the offender be too strong for us, it were folly to contend; if he were too weak, it were a shame. Are we offended by a friend, let us remember our old friendship; if by an enemy, let us do him a kindness, and he will do so no more. But Christianity will direct us to better means for composing the soul into the meekness and charity which it does require.

The first I shall recommend, is humility. Let us learn to have low thoughts of ourselves; and then we shall have both fewer enemies, and be more inclined to love them. Pride and self-conceit make us over-rate every petty injury, and incline us to revenge but if we consider what poor contemptible things we are in ourselves, and what we have deserved, if not from men, yet from God, whose instruments they are for our correction, we shall be little concerned at what the world calls affronts, and easily reconciled to those who have wronged us.

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Secondly, let us learn to have a low esteem of the present world, and all things therein; and this will cut off the occasions of our hatred and animosities. Men may wrong us in our fortune or reputation, but they cannot rob us of piety and virtue, of the favour of God, and eternal happiness. And therefore, if our minds be once raised above those transitory vanities, we cannot meet with injuries worth the resenting. If we aim at heaven, and the glory of another world, we shall not stand to quarrel and contend about any trifling interest in our way thither.

Thirdly, the frequent and serious thoughts of death would conduce much to allay our hatred, and dispose us to meekness and charity. Naturalists tell us, that when swarms of bees fight in the air, they are dispersed by throwing dust among them. Did we in our thoughts often reflect upon that dust whereunto we must all shortly return, we should more easily lay down our quarrels, and animosities. While we contend about small things, little do we consider that death is coming on apace, and will swallow up the victor and the vanquished; him that is in the right, and him that is in the wrong. Look back upon the private contentions, or public commotions, which infested the world an hundred ago. Where are they who managed them? They are all gone down into the dark and silent grave. Death hath decided their controversies, and within a few days it will do so with ours, and send us all to plead our cause before our great judge; and it will go ill with us, if we appear there in malice. Therefore, why should our hatred be long, since our life is so short? One would think we should find better employment for the short time we have to spend here.

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But, lastly, and above all, let us propose to ourselves the blessed example of the holy Jesus, who,.

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when he was reviled, reviled not again: when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

Let us frequently remember what great things he hath done and suffered for us poor sinful wretches; even while we were enemies and rebels to him; how that in all the passages of his life, and all the bloody scene of his sufferings, he was actuated by that same charity ard love to his enemies which he calls for at our hands. It was this which moved him to descend from heaven, and clothe himself with the frailties of our nature, and endure the troubles of a calamitous life, and the pains of a bitter death, to deliver us from that eternal misery whereinto we had plunged ourselves. And may not his goodness and mercy to us, mollify our hearts, and overpower the corruption of our revengeful nature, and inspire us with earnest desires and resolutions to imitate his blessed example? After all that he hath done and suffered for us, can we be guilty of such a shameful ingratitude, as to deny him this poor satisfaction and acknowledgment, to pardon an enemy for his sake? Has he died for us when we were his enemies, and shall we refuse to live at peace with ours? Remember with what patience he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself; with what humility he did condescend to wash the feet of that wicked miscreant, who was at the same time resolved to betray him: with what mildness he did bear the supine negligence and stupidity of his disciples, who slept in the time of his agony. What charity and meekness did he evince towards those who sought his life! He could have called for legions of angels to destroy them, or made the earth to open her mouth and swallow them up: but he would not employ his miraculous power, save only for their good, restoring a servant's ear, and reproving the preposterous zeal of him who cut it off. Yea, while he hung upon the cross, and was

approaching to the gates of death, all the cruel pains of body, and far more intolerable pressure of spirit which he then sustained, did not lessen his wonderful tenderness and affection for his bloody murderers: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Let us be frequent and serious in the meditation of these things. And if we have any veneration for the example of our Saviour, and any sense of his infinite mercy, this will dispose us to the practice of his precepts, and the obedience of his laws; and particularly the observation of this necessary, this reasonable, and delightful duty, that we love our

enemies.

THE NECESSITY AND ADVANTAGE OF EARLY AFFLICTIONS.

LA M. iii. 27, 28.

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

THE great difference and contrariety betwixt the maxims of the world, and those which religion doth propose, is in nothing more observable than in taking the measures of happiness and felicity. The world accounteth him a happy man who enjoyeth a perpetual calm and sun-shine of prosperity; whose pleasant and joyful days are never overcast with any cloud, nor his tranquillity interrupted by any disastrous accident; and who was never acquainted with any other change, but that which brought him the new and fresh relish of succeeding pleasures and enjoyments. But religion hath taught us to look upon this as a condition full of danger; much more to be pitied than envied; to be feared than to be desired. It hath taught us to consider afflictions as instances of

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