Loeking rtnto [cfia. Book. IV. 44r ----- againfr another. Butnow gr~at peace have !l1ey t~at love thy law; for by theayde ofChnfr and l11s grace, the1r p>lfhons are w fomc fort fubdued: and they paffe on their life mofl: fwect!y and calmly, without any pert~1rbarions much troub!in~ their fpirits; they have that peace whs.' h p.1.fJerh ail ~md?rflandtng , wh1ch the John 11 . z7 • ,. world can neither give , no tafle of, tU Chrifl affirmetb. 2 . It holds forth peace ac home ; the laws of ]ef11s teach us how to be11re with the infirmities ofour relatives; and indeed whoioever-obeyes the laws ofJefus,Chrifl:, he feeks with fweetnets to remedy all differences, he throwes water upon a fparke, he lives fweetly with his ~1ife, affectionately with his children, d i f~:reetly with his .fervants ; and they all loo~ upon him as their guardia.n, friend and patron; but look upon an angry man not fubjeCl: to thefe Chriftian laws, and when he' enters upon his threihold, it gives an alarme to his houfe, every little accident is the matter ofa quarrel,and every quarrel difcompofes the peace of the houfe, and lets it on fire, and no man can tell how far it may burne. ,Q the fweetneffe, eafineffe, pleafantnetfe of Chriftian Religion ! where t~at is embraced .and followed , the man is peaceable, and charitable, and juft, and loving, and forbearing. and forgiving;and how fhol)ld there be but content in this bleffed family? · 3. lt holds out peace abroad, it commands all offices of kindneffe, gentleneffe, love, meekneffe, humility, lowlindfe of mind cowards others; ?nd fuch fwe~t dilpofltions are ufually recei\·ed with fondneffe, and all the endearements ofthe neighbourhood; it prefcribes an auftere, and yet a fweet deportment; it commands all thofe labours of love, as to relieve the fl:ranger, to vi fi t the lick, to wa{h the feet of the poore; it fends us upon charitable etnbaffies, to undeane prifons, nafty dungeons, and in the caufe ofChrift to lay down ourlives one for another; it: teacheth us how to retume good for evil, kindneffe for injnrie> a loft anfwer for the rough words of an enemy; Oh when I think of this, I cannot but think of him who faid, that either this wM not the Cpriftian Religion, or we were not ChrsflianJ. For my part I am eafily perfwaded, that if we would but live according to the difcipline ofChriftian Religion , one of thofe great plagues that vexeth the world (I meane the plague ofwar) would be no more; certainly this was one of the defignes of Chriftianity, that there . • , Lll fhould
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