' 94 BookiV. JLoolitng unto ']}~fus. arc likt the troubled fca when it canno~ rcft, whofc 'Wttter.r c::zft up mire and dirt ; there is no PfJI. SS· 9· peae< faith my Godto tk< wicktd: tbetr p•ffions were never yet mortified; and fuch paffi. ons ufually range mwtcked men as are mofi contrary, and demand contrary things . the de~re of honour cries fpend ~tre, but the paffion of avarice cries, hold thy hands; lu!l: cnes, veHt/4re here; but pnde fatth,_ uo [u<h thmg; ct may turn eo thy dijhonour; ange 1cnes, revenge thy felf _here, but ambttton fayes, rt s better t• diffimble. And here is tul– ~lled that of the Pfalmtll:, I have feen vrolence and {frife in the City; the vulgar renders l·t, Jha'Ue feen rmqrmy andcontradr:'honm the [elf-fame City: Fllft, Inquiry, for all the demands of thefe paffions are UDJUfi; And, 2. Contradiction, for one paffion cries out ~gamft a_nother· Bu~ now_great peace have they that love thy Law; for by the aidof Chnftand hts Grace, t!J.etr ~alhons are m fome fort fubdued: and they pafs on their life moft fweetly and ~almly, wuhout any penurbations much troub!ing their lpirits; they John 14 , 27 , have that peace whteh paffitha0 llnderj/andmg, WhiCh the tvor/d <an neithergive n•r taj/e of M Chrifl affirmeth. ' 2. It holds forth peace at home; the Laws of Jefus teach us how to bear with the in– firmitie~ of our Relatives; and ind_eed whofoever obeys the Laws of Jefus Chrii1, he feeks wnh fweernefs to remedy all dtfferences, he throws water upon a fpark , he Jives fweetly with hisWife, affeCl:ionately with his Children, difcreetly wich his Servants_ and they all look upon him as their Guardian, Friend, and Patron ;·but look upon a~ angry man not fubje3: to thefe Chrill:ian Laws, and when he enters upon his threllJOld, it gives an alarm to his houfe, every little accident is the mmer of aquarrel, and every quarrel difcompofes the peace of the houfe, and fets it<m fire, and no man can tell how far it may burn. 0 the fweetnefs, eafinefs, pleafanrnefs of Chrillian Religion ! where that is embraced and foUowed, the man is peaceable, and charitable, and j.uft, and loving, and forbearing, and forgiving; and how lhould there be but content in this bkf– fedFamily? 3. It holds out peace abroad, it commands all offices of kindnefs, genrlenefs, love, meeknefs, humility, lowlinefs of mind towards others; and fuch fweet difpofirions are ufually received with fondnefs, and all the endearments of the neighbourhood; it pre– fcribes an auftere, and yet a fweet deportment; it commands all thofe labont·s of love, as to relieve the ftranger, to vilit the fick, to walh the feet of the poor ; it fends us upon charitable embaffies, to unclean prifons, nafty dungeons, and in the caufe of Chrift to Jay down our lives one for another; it teacheth us how to return good for evil, kindnef; .., for injuries, a fofr anfwer for the rough words of an enemy ; OtHvhen I think of this, I cannot but think of him who faid, That either thu WM n•t th• Chriftian Religi011, or we were not Chrij/ians. For my part I am ealily perfwaded, /tat if we would but live according to the difcipline of Chritl:ian Religion, one of thofe great plagues that vexerh the world (I mean the plague of war) woald be no more ; certainly this was one of the defigns of Chriftianity, that there lhould be no wars, no jars, no difcomems amongft men; and if all men that are called Chriftians, were indeed charitable, peaceable, jufl, loving, forbearing one another, and foJgiving one another, what fweet_ peace lh?uld we have? hew would this world be an. Image of Heaven, and of that fonety of Srums and Angels above in glory ? . 4 . Chriftian Religion affords to us all alftfunces both outward and mward. In fo~e refpeCI:s, I know the duties of Chriftianity are.ha~d and heavy ; but whatfoever Chr~fl bath impofed as heavy and hard, he hath made 1t hght matds. I /hall/hew the helps m thefe particula-rs. As- . • . 1 . The holy Scriptures be our helps; this was the very f~ope and atm for whtch the facred volume was fenr from Heaven, viz.. that we mtght declme from evtl, and do good; that we might die w old .Ad4"'! and live to Chrift ~ that we might crucifie fin, andfol– tow venue; what are the Scnptures but the Regtftm of.Gods Wtll, the Lettets of Gods Love, to invite us to Grace, and to dehorr us from vtce? 0 the pe~fwafions, d~reCI:ion5 and commands of God that we might become holy; and 0 the dtlfwafions, dt– verlions, threatnings. and terrifying of God that we might lly_prophanenefs! 2. The Minillers of Chrift be our helps: thou haft the Scnprures, but tt may be thou can!! not read· or thou canft not under!l:and the fence and meaning thereof; Chnft Eph. 4 , 12. therefore for thy help hath fet up aminiftry for the edifying of the body of Chrift. Th~fe are the watchmen over the houfe of Ifrael to cry like trumpets, and wblazon the ll~I of the houfe of IfrAel; thefe are the fuitors ~f God and Chrift to fpeak out his good-:~ ~ Clor. s. 10. in thiue ears; they call, they cry, they \Vatt, they woo, theypray you mChrij/s ft Th' that you will be ru.nciled Unt< God. 3-· e
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