swaying his sceptre with truth and justice. He judges the people with righteousness, and the poor with judgment a. In a word there is a day coming in which we are assured he will judge the world in righteousness b. A day wherein he will bring every secret thing to light, will weigh the characters of men in a just balance, and dispense rewards and punishments to all, with an equal hand.-What powerful considerations are these to influence the tempers and regulate the conduct of all such who are Christians indeed! Let us now proceed to the next branch of social duty I proposed to explain and enforce. And that is, SECONDLY, Peaceableness. By peaceableness I mean a disposition to live upon terms of friendship and good-will with all around us, and the use of proper endeavours to that end. This indeed is an object which, however desirable, cannot always be attained. Whence the apostle says, If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men c. So violent, in some instances, are the prejudices of the wicked against those of the opposite character, that it is not in the power, either of prudence or good nature, to subdue their cruel and unreasonable resentments. What we have therefore to do in these cases is, to detach ourselves from all connections with such persons. And if still we cannot escape their malevolence, we are to endure it with patience. As to some good men likewise, it is possible that their natural tempers, and an obstinate attachment to some peculiarities of their own, may forbid our having a strict intimacy with them. We are however to cherish good-will towards them, and to be ready on all occasions to do them offices of kindness.-There are instances also, in which it is unlawful to cultivate peace with others. This is the case when peace is not to be enjoyed, but at the expence of truth and holiness. The dearest connections are to be sacrificed, rather than sin indulged. And truth having been once bought, is to be parted with on no consideration whatever. Yet we should not forget in the former instance, to mingle charity with justice; and in the latter, moderation with zeal. a Psal. Ixxii. 2. b Acts xvii. 31. c Rom. xii. 18. explain and illustrate They are these-the Thus much premised, I go on now to the two main expressions of this temper. living in peace ourselves-and the promoting it as much as possible among others. 1. The good man will himself cultivate peace with all around him—with men in general, but especially with his relations and his fellow-Christians. He will seek peace and pursue it a. To this end, he will carefully avoid giving offence to any, by an unsuitable behaviour towards their persons, their properties, or their reputation. So the apostle admonishes the Corinthians, to give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. And the admonition he enforces with his own example, Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved b. That is, he endeavoured to accommodate himself to all, in matters that were indifferent, and so far as was consistent with a good conscience. The peaceable man will study the capacities, tempers and circumstances of others, and suit himself to them accordingly. He will lay a restraint on his passions, and exercise forbearance and self-denial, for the sake of peace. So did Abraham, upon occasion of a dispute between his servants and Lot's, which had like to have broke the harmony that subsisted between the two families. He said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee; for we are brethren. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then will I go to the left c. And if it so happens that his brother is offended with him, though without cause, he will feel pain till the difference is composed. And as he will be thus cautious how he gives offence, so he will not be forward to take it. He will be apt to put the most favourable construction on the words and actions of others, and not hastily to conclude, when he hath received an injury, that it was intended. He will suffer long, and not be easily provoked d. Or if the affront be real and wilful, he will not be implacable. The wisdom that is from above, is peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated e. But of the duty of forgiveness we shall have a Psal. xxxiv. 14. d 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5. b 1 Cor. x. 32, 33. c Gen. xiii. 8, 9. occasion to speak afterwards.-Such is the temper and conduct of the peaceable Christian, in regard of his own personal connections. In like manner, 2. He will endeavour to the utmost of his power, to promote peace among others. Blessed are the peace makers, says our Saviour, for they shall be called the children of God a. Unity among his own immediate friends and acquaintance, it will be his aim to preserve, and when it is at all broke in upon, to restore. To this purpose, he will carefully avoid every thing which may tend to set persons at variance, or may, though undesignedly, inflame their passions and resentments. He will not busy himself in the affairs of others, or officiously intermeddle with their disputes. The character of such unhappy and dangerous persons, the apostle particularly describes in one of his epistles. "They learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tatlers also, and busy bodies, speaking things which they ought not b.' And yet every proper opportunity to compose differences, he will readily embrace, using all the prudence, tenderness and influence he is master of, to that end. He will labour to convince the parties concerned, of the great folly and evil of contention, of their obligations to peace, and of the honour they will gain by mutual submission and forgiveness. He will persuade them to avoid repeating grievances, to set as much as possible down to the account of misunderstanding, and to put the most favourable construction upon doubtful circumstances. And, in a word, he will observe inviolable secrecy, remembering what the wise man says, A whisperer separateth chief friends c? and, Where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth d. . He will likewise use his endeavours to cultivate and promote peace in the church of God. The importance of this to general edification, the apostle represents in several of his epistles, exhorting Christians to follow after the things which make for peace e; and to keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace f. To this end he will pray for the peace of Jerusalem. He will set a peaceable example before others. He will countenance every thing which tends to promote union and friendship. He a Matt. v. 9. b 1 Tim. v. 13. e Rom. xiv. 19. c Prov. xvi. 28. ƒ Eph. iv. 3. will take pains, as far as his influence reaches, to suppress jea lousies, uneasinesses, and contentions, in their first appearance, And if yet the peace of the community is disturbed, he will interpose his best offices of counsel and persuasion, to heal the breach, and to restore harmony and love. And then again, the preservation of the public peace, is an object to which he will contribute what lies in his power. Considering government as an ordinance of God, he will hold it his unquestionable duty, to render all proper submission to it. Obedience he will cheerfully yield to the higher powers, in every matter which consists with the allegiance he owes to Heaven and that not only for wrath's sake, that is, in order to avoid the displeasure of the magistrate, but for conscience sake a. And, for the same reason, he will labour to promote loyalty, fidelity and union, among his fellow-subjects.-These are the main expressions of a peaceable disposition. And now let me shew you in a few words, how true religion assists us in the practice of these duties, and by what considerations it excites us to them. It assists us in these duties, by inspiring us with prudence to govern and regulate our conduct. He who is well skilled in self-knowledge, will derive thence the most important maxims, cautions, and directions, to guide him in all his social intercourses. And these will be of no small use to guard him against strife and contention, if not to qualify him for the difficult office of making peace.—Humility is an eminent branch of religion. And how this tends to promote peace I hardly need say. Pride usually goes before contention, is the cause of it, mingles itself with it, and hath the main influence to foment and increase it. Humility, on the contrary, wherever it prevails in all its genuine sim→ plicity, precludes occasion for strife, or if strife is kindled, by its kind and gentle offices quickly puts it out.-Contentment is another Christian grace. And its effect on the matter now before us, is not one of the least advantages which result from it. While an ambitious, covetous, restless spirit, by prompting persons to improper and dangerous pursuits, almost unavoidably hur ries them into disputes, an easy, quiet, contented temper, keeps a Rom. xiii. 5. the good man out of the way of these evils, or if he does at any time fall into them, enables him quickly to extricate himself. He hath not those eager expectations to gratify, and so being contented, is peaceable.-Meekness also is an amiable fruit of religion. And its direct tendency to beget and promote peace, appears at first view. There would be no contentions and divisions, if it were not for that sharp, angry, fierce temper, which is too common to mankind, and which is apt to be excited and provoked by disappointment or contradiction. This it is that kindles the flame, this that spreads it, and this that often renders every endeavour to quench it ineffectual. But the grace of God restrains this impetuous passion, yea corrects and softens it. It infuses, at least in a degree, a certain mildness and sweetness into a man's disposition, which prevents his wilfully offending another, and enables him to bear injuries, to put up with them, and to forgive them.-Love is also another genuine fruit of the Spirit. And among the many expressions of this divine temper, that of peace is not an inconsiderable one. Good-will to others will not allow me to quarrel with them, if I can any way help it. And cordial affection to them will, in a manner, render me incapable of contention; or at least of such contention with them, as shall have a mixture of malevolence in it. It will shut up the avenues of the heart against jealousy and suspicion. Or if they force their way, it will put me upon contriving every possible means to elude and escape them. Or if after all, I am really injured, love will make the breach occasioned thereby, more intolerable than the injury itself. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things a.'-In a word, that zeal for the glory of God, which religion inspires, will have a mighty effect to aid the Christian in the practice of this duty. He who makes peace his object, purely from a principle of self-love, and an aversion to noise and clamour, will sometimes find his natural easiness of disposition, mastered by the contrary passions of anger and ill-will. But here religion will step in to the relief of the Christian, just beaten and subdued. "Shall I yield to the unpeaceful resentments of my breast? No. a 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5, 7. The glory |