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not unrighteous to forget this our labour of love; but will take abundant care that whatever we bear chearfully on his account, far from giving us cause of complaint, shall affuredly be matter of great joy to us in the end: not that we should be fo vain as to think we merit heaven thereby; nor may we presume to drive a bargain with God, by putting our good works into the balance with an infinite and eternal reward. IV. Our CHARITY muft alfo extend to the credit or Of charity reputation of our neighbour, whether he be innoin refpect of cent or guilty. Confequently, fhould our innothe credit. cent neighbour be malicioufly brought into judgment, it is our duty not only to vindicate him from false imputations in private, but to offer our voluntary evidence before the court. And though we know him to be guilty, if fome other branch of charity or juftice does not oblige the contrary, we must not take upon us to divulge his faults, nor to report them upon hearfay; for, as they are men and chriftians, our neighbours and our brethren in Christ, it is our duty not only to honour good men for their virtues, but to pity the evil for their miferies, to relieve their wants, to conceal their defects, and to vindicate their injured reputation; to pray for them, and to take fuch steps as may probably recover them to a true fenfe of their fpiritual ftate. Sufpicions, fancying the worst defigns, and putting the worst interpretations upon words and actions, hard cenfures and fuppofitions, are reigning fins among adverfaries, too common among those who are otherwife ferious and devout; and this not only against particular persons, but on all hands against whole bodies and parties, who, in any thing relating to the times, are of different opinions and fentiments. All which are contrary to the nature of charity, which is always inclinable to think the best and leans to the fide of favour both in judging and fpeaking of their deeds. Befides, it is plainly contrary to our Lord's rule, who warneth us not to judge, that we be not judged; becaufe with what meafure we mete it will be meafured to us again. Dwelling upon an injury received, and hearkening to idle tales, increase a fault, and the malice, and unworthiness of him that is guilty thereof. By thefe our reLentment is heightened, and our minds are made difficult to

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be brought into temper; whereas, if we did not give way to them, we should find ourselves much more eafy to forgive.

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And the best means to help us in the practice of this virtue is always to keep before our eyes that grand The great rule of loving our neighbour as ourselves, which rules of the apostle makes the sum of our whole duty to charity. our neighbour. For though men are fo careless of their spiritual affairs as to wish for no affiftance, they are not thereby freed by this rule from those forts of charities. Because the love of ourselves, which is fet as the measure to that of our neighbour, is understood to be that reasonable love which men ought to have for themselves; and therefore tho' a man fail of that reasonable love he owes himself, yet his neighbour thereby forfeits not his right. Again, what we actually would that others should do to us is not in all cafes a rule of our duty; but the lawfulness of the action is to be prefuppofed: for may not do or forbear a thing to my neighbour, merely becaufe I am content or defirous that he should do or forbear the like to myself. Now that defire of mine must first be known to agree with God's commands; because a drunkard may be willing to be made a beaft by another: but it is not the more lawful for him to do the like to his neighbour. So a man upon evil courfes cares not to be difturbed in them by the reproofs of his fuperiors or friends: but that does not lef fen his obligation to be a monitor to other finners, especially to thofe under his care and government. Neither do we fulfil this rule by doing that to others, which we might be glad they would do tous; but itconfifts in this, to do all that we can expect from them, as matter of duty and right. For tho' a poor man might be glad that the rich perfon would give him a part of his eftate, fo as to make his circumftances eafy and plentiful: yet the rich man, who is master of his own eftate, may lawfully gratify fuch a defire; but he may as lawfully refufe to do it. In like manner, the duty to love our neighbour as ourselves is not, either that we should love any neighbour with equal tendernefs as ourfelves; for that I conceive is hardly poffible; or that we should love every neighbour alike ; which if we fuppofe poffible were neither juft nor natural : or that we should do for our neighbour all that he now does,

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or that we, if in his circumstances, might perhaps wish and defire to be done for ourselves; for fuch defires may be irregular; or if not finful, yet unreasonable: but it is to do all that for him, which, were our cafe his, and his ours, we fhould in reafon and good conscience expect and be glad to have done to ourselves. Human laws are often fo numerous, as to escape our memories; fo darkly fometimes, and inconfiftently worded, as to puzzle our understandings: and their original obfcurity is not feldom improved by the nice diftinction and fubtile reasonings of those who profefs to clear them; fo that under these several disadvantages, they lofe much of their force and influence; and, in fome cafes, raise more difputes, than perhaps they determine. But here is a law, attended with none of thefe inconveniencies; the groffeft minds can scarce misapprehend it, the weakest memories are capable of retaining it: no perplexing comment can easily cloud it; the authority of no man's glofs upon earth can (if we are fincere) fway us to make a wrong conftruction of it. What is faid of all the gofpel-precepts by the evangelical prophet, is more eminently true of this: It is an high-way; and the way-faring man, tho' a fool, fhall not err therein. It is not enough that a rule, which is to be of general use, is suited to all capacities; fo that wherever it is reprefented to the mind, it is presently agreed to: it muft alfo be apt to offer itfelf to our thoughts, and lie ready for present use upon all exigencies and occafions. And, as the love a man bears to himself is always fincere, fo fhould the love to our neighbour be, in this refpect, as that to ourselves; not mercenary and defigning, but difinterested and hearty, intending the benefit of the party we exprefs it to; not indirectly feeking our own profit or pleasure: this end whoever conftantly aims at, and steadily pursues, will never greatly fail in the particulars of his duty. So he that loves his neighbour fincerely as himfelf; and is willing to do to all men, as he defires they should do to him; that thinks himself fent into the world on purpofe to do good to others, and looks upon it as the fum and end of his duty to promote the univerfal peace and happines of mankind; will certainly upon this principle regularly and uniformly perform all the parts of his duty towards men: he will naturally treat his fuperiors with chearful fubmiffion.

fubmiffion, his benefactors with gratitude and all decent refpect, his equals with affability and readiness to do all offices of kindness, and his inferiors with gentleness, moderation, and charity.

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V. Peace-making is another great inftance of charity; which though it doth not directly fall under any Peace-maof the foregoing heads, yet frequently contributes king. to the practice and fuccefs of them all: because it will not report of neighbours any thing falfe, nor any thing true which tend to variance; and it will difcourage eve-droppers and tale-bearers, who, out of malice, envy, or idleness, are bufybodies: a peaceable man will never fow the feeds of diffenfion. If there be any diffenfion, a peaceable man will fo behave himself as not to inflame or widen a breach. Shortens If men would behave with this prudence towards quarrels. those that are at variance, it would go a great way to the shortening of quarrels. 'Tis vain to imagine we may meet with a perfon that shall please us in every thing: but this we may do, we may find out fomething that will please us in every perfon. A man is not fit to live in the world, who does not fee feveral things, without feeming to fee them; who does not fee through the little by-ends and selfish views, which men may have; against which he must use all the reality of caution and distruft, with as little appearances of it as poffible, if he would preferve peace. For human nature is not fo very bad as fome reprefentit: most of the little flrifes and contentions, which happen, would die of their own accord, if ill-natured people (pretending to be friends to both parties) did not blow the coals, and throw on fresh fewel. As coals are to burning coals, and as wood to fire, fo is a contentious man to kindle frife; where no wood is, the fire goeth out; fo where there is no tale-bearer, the ftrife ceafeth. Where Removes the contention is hot and fierce, a lover of peace will contention. incline both parties to coolness and good temper. If thou blow the fpark, it will burn; and if thou spit upon it, it shall be quenched; and both these come out of thy mouth. Quarrels proceed out of the mouth, by carrying tales, aggravating offences, or perfuading revenge: fo damping them proceeds out of the mouth by foft and gentle intreaties; by reprefenting

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the smallest of the things they quarrel about; and by fhewing how inconfiftent it is with peace to take offence at every thing, or to interpret it in the worst fenfe. When the paffions are hot and inflamed on both fides, though gentle words and intreaties cannot fupprefs them, they may ferve to bring them down. When a man, defirous to make peace, fees that they are refolved to fight it out, he will endeavour that their contention may be ended with as little hurt as may be; he will perfuade them to refer the matter in difpute to the judgment of fome wife neighbour, where, with lefs charge and more fatisfaction, the ftrife may be ended; because, tho' a law-fuit may determine a controverfy, it commonly continues a breach of peace and charity among the contending parties. *And Whoever undertakes this good office of peace-making muft take care that he lives a remarkable peaceable life himself: for in contending parties one of the other in all probability will be angry at good advice, and endeavour to take off the weight of fuch admonitions as tend to reconciliation, if the peace-maker be given to contention alfo; then it may be objected, as the Hebrew did to Mofes, Who made thee judge over us? Or at least he may be abruptly filenced with, Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye. Therefore he that would fuade peace in another, must be also peaceable himself.

A peacemaker muft be allo peaceable.

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If it be poffible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably How to be with all men. To live peaceably with all men, in peaceable. the ftrictest sense of the words, is a thing abfolutely impoffible, and out of our reach; for it depends upon what we are not masters of, the difpofition and paffions of other men. Let us take what care we can to prevent mistakes, they will fometimes arife; let us with never fo much caution avoid doing injuries, we cannot always avoid receiving them. Where violent incroachments are made upon our fortune or good name, we not only may, but muft vindicate ourselves from them, though breach of peace and an open rupture with any man attend our doing it. Slight affronts and small injuftices we may put up with; but where we are wounded

to

See what has been faid on this fubject in the duty of parents and children. Sunday 8, Sect. V. and alfo here below.

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