a man by warrantable and decent means to be contrived against himself; and convigorously to prosecute commendable trariwise, how ingrateful and loathsome designs; like that St. Jude mentions, of striving earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. For this zeal may be very consistent with, yea, greatly conducible to, the designs of peace. And 'tis not a drowsiness, a slack remissness, a heartless diffidence, or a cowardly flinching from the face of danger and opposition, we discourse about, or plead for; but a wise and wary declining the occasions of needless and unprofitable disturbance to ourselves and others. To conclude this point (which, if time would have permitted, I should have handled more fully and distinctly), though to preserve peace, and purchase the goodwill of men, we may and ought to quit much of our private interest and satisfaction, yet ought we not to sacrifice to them what is not our own, nor committed absolutely to our disposal, and which in value incomparably transcends them, the maintenance of truth, the advancement of justice, the practice of virtue, the quiet of our conscience, the favour of Almighty And if, for being dutiful to God, and faithful to ourselves in these particulars, any men will hate, vex, and despite us; frustrate our desires, and defeat our purposes of living peaccably with all men in this world; we may comfort ourselves in the enjoyment of eternal peace and satisfaction of mind, in the assurance of the divine favour, in the hopes of eternal rest and tranquillity in the world to come. Now briefly to induce us to the practice of this duty of living peaceably, we may consider : : 1. How good and pleasant a thing it is (as David saith) for brethren and so we are all at least by nature) to live together in untiy." How that, as Solomon saith, better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife. How delicious that conversation is, which is accompanied with a mutual confidence, freedom, courtesy, and complaisance: how calm the mind, how composed the affections, how serene the countenance, how melodious the voice, how sweet the sleep, how contentful the whole life is of him, that neither deviseth mischief against others, nor suspects any ↑ Jude 3. "Psal. cxxxiii. 1. ▾ Prov. xvii. 1. a thing it is to abide in a state of enmity, in joy and rest, if men would cheerfully is eagerly to contend about trifles, for conspire in affection, and helpfully con- the superiority in some impertinent contribute to each other's content :* and how test, for the satisfaction of some petty hulike a savage wilderness now it is, when, mour, for the possession of some inconlike wild beasts, they vex and persecute, siderable toy; yea, how barbarous and worry and devour each other. How not brutish a thing it is, to be fierce and imonly philosophy hath placed the supreme petuous in the pursuit of things that pitch of happiness in a calmness of mind, please us, snarling at, biting, and tearing and tranquillity of life, void of care and all competitors of our game, or opposers trouble, of irregular passions and pertur- of our undertaking. But how divine and bations; but that holy scripture itself, in amiable, how worthy of human nature, that one term of peace, most usually com- of civil breeding, of prudent consideraprehends all joy and content, all felicity tion it is, to restrain partial desires, to and prosperity so that the heavenly con- condescend to equal terms, to abate from sort of angels, when they agree most rigorous pretences, to appease discords, highly to bless, and to wish the greatest and vanquish enmities by courtesy and happiness to mankind, could not better discretion; like the best and wisest comexpress their sense, than by saying, Be on manders, who by skilful conduct, and earth peace, and good will among men. patient attendance upon opportunity, 2. That as nothing is more sweet and without striking of stroke, or shedding delightful, so nothing more comely and of blood, subdue their enemy. agreeable to human nature, than peace- 3. How that peace with its near alliable living, it being, as Solomon saith, an ance and concomitants, its causes and honour to a man to cease from strife;" | effects, love, meekness, gentleness, and and consequently also a disgrace to him patience, are in sacred writ reputed the to continue therein that rage and fury genuine fruits of the Holy Spirit, issues may be the excellencies of beasts, and of divine grace, and offsprings of heaventhe exerting their natural animosity in ly wisdom; producing like themselves strife and combat may become them; a goodly progeny of righteous deeds. but reason and discretion are the singular But that emulation, hatred, wrath, varieminences of men, and the use of these ance, and strife derive their extraction the most natural and commendable meth- from fleshly lust, hellish craft, or beastly od of deciding controversies among folly; propagating themselves also into a them and that it extremely misbecomes like ugly brood of wicked works. For them that are endowed with those excel- so saith St. James,-If ye have bitter zeal lent faculties so to abuse them, as not to and strife in your hearts, glory nol, nor apprehend each other's meanings, but to be deceived untruly:* This wisdom deground vexatious quarrels upon the mis-scendeth not from above, but is earthly, take of them; not to be able by reasonable expedients to compound differences, but with mutual damage and inconvenience to prorogue and increase them not to discern how exceeding ly better it is to be helpful and beneficial, than to be mischievous and troublesome to one another. How foolishly and unskilfully they judge, that think by unkind speech and harsh dealing to allay men's distempers, alter their opinions, or remove their prejudices; as if they should attempt to kill by ministering nour-wise, He loveth transgression that loveth ishment, or to extinguish a flame by pouring oil upon it. How childish a thing it sensual, and devilish: For where emulation and strife are, there is tumult,† and every naughty thing :‡ but the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, obsequious, full of mercy (or beneficence) and of good fruits without partiality and dissimulation: And the fruit of righteousness is sowed in peace to those that make peace; And from whence are wars and quarrels among you? Are they not hence, even from your lusts, that war in your members? Like strife; and, A fool's lips enter into con- * Καὶ μὴ ψεύδεσθε κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας. § Εὐπειθής. James iii. 14, 18; iv. 1. saith Solomon. That the most wicked | and miserable of creatures is described by titles denoting enmity and discord:* the hater (Satan) the enemy (o zoos ärOgortos), the accuser(& xa1f7000s),the slanderer (& Súbolos), the destroyer (ó árok. Lúo), the furious dragon, and mischievously treacherous snake: and how sad it is to imitate him in his practices, to resemble him in his qualities. But that the best, most excellent, and most happy of Beings delights to be styled, and accordingly to express himself, The God of love, mercy, and peace; and his blessed Son to be called and to be The Prince of peace, the great Mediator, Reconciler, and Peacemaker; who is also said from on high to have visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; and to guide our feet in the ways of peace. That, lastly, no devotion is pleasing, no oblation acceptable to God, conjoined with hatred, or proceeding from an unreconciled mind: for, If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift, saith our Saviour. Now Almighty God, the most good and beneficent Maker, gracious Lord, and merciful Preserver of all things, infuse into our hearts those heavenly graces of meekness, patience and benignity, grant us and his whole church, and all his creation to serve him quietly here, and in a blissful rest to praise and magnify him for ever : to whom with his blessed Son, the great Mediator and Prince of peace, and with his holy Spirit, the everflowing spring of all love, joy, comfort, and peace, be all honour, glory, and praise. And, The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, be among you, and remain with you for ever. Amen. SERMON XXXI.* THE DUTY AND REWARD OF BOUNTY TO PSALM CXii. 9.-He hath dispersed, he hath As this whole Psalm appears to have a double intent; one to describe the proper actions and affections of a truly religious or pious man (of a man who feareth the Lord, and delighteth greatly in his com I close up all with this corollary: that if we must live lovingly and peaceably with all men, then much more are we obliged to do so with all Christians: to whom by nearer and firmer bands of holy alliance we are related; by more precious communions in faith and devotion we are endeared; by more peculiar and power-mandments:) the other to declare the ful obligations of divine commands, sacra- happiness of such a man's state, consemental vows, and formal professions, we quent upon those his affections and acare engaged our spiritual brethren, tions, whether in way of natural result, members of the same mystical body, tem- or of gracious recompense from God: so ples of the same Holy Spirit, servants of doth this verse particularly contain both the same Lord, subjects of the same a good part of a pious man's character, Prince, professors of the same truth, par- and some considerable instances of his takers of the same hope, heirs of the same felicity. The first words (He hath dispromise, and candidates of the same ever-persed, he hath given to the poor) express lasting happiness. Qui posuit in cœlo bellum, in paradiso fraudem, odium inter primos fratres.-Aug. † Χαίρει γὰρ τῇ συμφωνία λογικῶν τῶν ζώων ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἐκτρέπεται τὴν διαφωνίαν.—Orig. c. Cels. 8. p. 424. Prov. xvii. 19; xviii. 6. d Matt. xiii. 28,-'Avridixos. murderer, John viii. 44. part of his character; the latter (his righteousness endureth for ever, his horn shall be exalted with honour) assign instances of his felicity. So that our text hath two parts, one affording us good information concerning our duty, the other yielding. 1 Pet. v. 8. A great encouragement to the performance * This Sermon was preached at the Spital, upon Wednesday in Easter-week. A. D. 1671. Verse 1. 2 Cor. xiii. 11; Philip. iv. 9; 1 Thess. v. 23; 2 Thess. iii. 16; Heb. vii. Luke i. 79. Matt. v. 23, 24. thereof; for we are obliged to follow the pious man's practice, and so doing we shall assuredly partake of his condition. These parts we shall in order prosecute, endeavouring (by God's assistance) somewhat to illustrate the words themselves, to confirm the truths couched in them, and to inculcate the duties which they imply. For the first part, He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; these words in general do import the liberal bounty and mercy which a pious man is wont to exercise; doing which doth in good part constitute him pious, and signally declareth him such is a necessary ingredient of his piety, and a conspicuous mark thereof. But particularly they insinuate some things concerning the nature, the matter, the manner, and the objects of those acts. the same reasons which oblige us, the same affections which dispose us to bestow our money, or deal our bread, will equally bind and move us to contribute our endeavour and advice, for the sustenance and comfort of our poor neighbour. Answerably our discourse will more expressly regard the principal matter, liberal communication of our goods; but it may be referred to all sorts of beneficence. Further, the word dispersed intimateth the nature of his bounty, in exclusion of practices different from it. He disperseth, and is therefore not tenacious, doth not hoard up his goods, or keep them close to himself, for the gratifying his covetous humour, or nourishing his pride, or pampering his sensuality; but sendeth them abroad for the use and benefit of others. He disperseth his goods, and therefore doth not fling them away altogether, as if he were angry with them, or weary of them, as if he loathed or despised them; but fairly and softly with good consideration he disposeth of them here and there, as reason and need do require. He disperseth them to the poor, not dissipateth them among vain or lewd persons in wanton or wicked profusions, in expensive curiosities, in hazardous gamings, in any such courses which swallow whole all that a man hath, or do so cripple him, that he becomes unable to disperse any thing: our good man is to be understood wisely provident, honestly industrious, and soberly frugal, that he may have wherewith to be just first, and then liberal.* He hath dispersed, he hath given. Those words being put indefinitely, or without determining what is dispersed and given by him, may be supposed to imply a kind of universality in the matter of his beneficence; that he bestoweth whatever he hath within compass of his possession, or his power; his rà úgyovta (the things which he hath), and his Ta róvta, (the things which he may), ac-in riotous excesses, in idle divertisements, cording to the prescriptions of our Lord in the Gospel. Every thing, I say, which he hath in substance, or can do by his endeavour, that may conduce to the support of the life, or the health, or the welfare in any kind of his neighbour, to the succour or relief of his indigency, to the removal or easement of his affliction, he may well here be understood to disperse and give. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, entertaining the stranger, ransoming the captive, easing the oppressed, comforting the sorrowful, assisting the weak, instructing or advising the ignorant, together with all such kinds or instances of beneficence, may be conceived either meant directly as the matter of the good man's dispersing and giving, or by just analogy of reason reducible thereto: substantial alms, as the most sensible and obvious matter of bounty, was (it is probable) especially intended, but thence no manner of expressing it is to be excluded; for Luke xii. 33; xi. 41. His dispersing also (or scattering, so the Hebrew word here used is otherwhere rendered: There is, saith the Wise Man, that scattereth, and yet increas eth: where we may remark, that this word singly by itself, without any adjunct matter to limit or interpret it, is used to signify this kind of practice. This his dispersing, I say, also) denotes the extent of the pious man's bounty, that it is very large and diffusive, and in a manner unrestrained; that it reacheth to many places, and is withheld from no persons within the verge of his power and op * Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε χρήματ ̓ ἔχειν, μὴ ἐπιμελούμενον, nws Ex-Arist. Eth. iv. 1. C Eph. iv. 28. d Prov. xi. 24. portunity to do good. This practice com- | He hath given to the poor. These words monly by a like phrase (unto which per- denote the freeness of his bounty, and haps this word refers) is termed sowing: determine the principal object thereof: he He (saith St. Paul) which soweth sparing- not only lendeth (though he also doth that ly shall also reap sparingly; and he upon reasonable occasion; for, A good which soweth bountifully shall also reap man (as it is said before in this Psalm) bountifully. Now, he that soweth, hav-showeth mercy, and lendeth; and othering chosen a good soil, and a fit season, where, The righteous is ever merciful, doth not regard one particular spot, but and lendeth; he, I say, not only somethroweth all about so much as his hand times willingly lendeth) to those who in can hold, so far as the strength of his time may repay, or requite him; but he arm doth carry. It is likewise called freely giveth to the poor, that is, to those watering: (He that watereth, saith Sol- from whom he can expect no retribution omon, shall be watered himself:) which back. He doth not (as good and pious, expression also seemeth to import a plen- he doth not) present the rich :* to do so tiful and promiscuous effusion of good, is but a cleanly way of begging, or a dropping in showers upon dry and parch-subtile kind of trade; it is hardly coured places; that is, upon persons dry tesy; it is surely no bounty; for such for want, or parched with affliction. So the good man doth not plant his bounty in one small hole, or spout it on one narrow spot, but with an open hand disseminates it, with an impartial regard distils it all about. He stints it not to his own family or relations; to his neighbours, or friends, or benefactors; to those of his own sect and opinion, or of his humour and disposition; to such as serve him, or oblige him, or please him; whom some private interest ties, or some particular affection endears him to; but scatters it indifferently and unconfinedly toward all men that need it; toward mere strangers, yea, to ward known enemies; toward such who never did him any good, nor can ever be able to do any; yea, even toward them who have done evil to him, and may be presumed ready to do more. Nothing in his neighbour but absence of need, nothing in himself but defect of ability, doth curb or limit his beneficence. In that 900vulu (that proclivity and promptitude of mind) which St. Paul speaketh of, he doth good every where: whereever a man is, there is room for his wishing well, and doing good, if he can he observes that rule of the Apostle, As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men. So the pious man hath dispersed. It follows, Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τινὰ κακῶς πάσχοντα, μηδὲν περιεργά ζου λοιπὸν· ἔχει τὸ δικαίωμα τῆς βοηθείας, του κακῶς παθεῖν αὐτόν· τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστι, καν "Ελλην, καν 'lovdatos. Chrys. in Heb. Orat. 10. 2 Cor. ix. 6, 10; Gal. vi. 7, 8; Prov. xi. 18, 25. 2 Cor. viii. 12,-Ubicunque homo est, ibi beneficio locus est.-Sen. de Vit. B. cap. 24; Gal. vi. 10; 2 Cor. ix. 13. persons (if they are not very sordid or |