Serro. i6. and in what not ? 395 Devil who is ready at hand take occafion thereat, CO blow us all into a flame of wrath, malice, revenge and what not, all which are to be wholly avoyed. 3. We mutt moderate our fpeeches and adions towards fuch wilful offenders. By no means rendering railing, f or railing,or evil, for evil,hut overcoming evil with good, Oh that our bleffed Saviour'; known pre - cept,was but as well known in the practice, Mat. 7. 44, Inc !and that his copy was but writ after by us ; how would the World be reformed thereby ! If thofe many places of holy Scripture, of forbearing, and forgiving one another under the penalty of damnation were duly be. lieted, they would marveloufly refrain men at leafl, and b:calm the World. But let's fee our pradife. 1. By a prudent Jilence, or fighting the prefssmptt ow offenders of us, when fecrct, or not greatly to our detriment. Not to hearken or regard every reproach, fcorn, contempt that's call upon us; nor every tre- fpafs of our neighbor, 2 Sam. 16.10. The difcretionof a man deferreth his anger, and'tis his glory to pafs over a tranfgreffion, Prov. 19. 1 t. It is his glory not only as it (hews a fpirit above filch dealings, but wifdom many times more afhaming and filencing fuck thereby, than by our contending with them. 2. By yielding to the unequal demands of others for peace,wherein we are folely concerned,and not greatly prejudiced.How eminent is ourSaviours example herein, who though free from tribute, yet rather than he would offend, works a Miracle for the foliation thereof,Matth. 17.27. He fairly (hews (irfi that he is fo, and then notwithstanding pays, whofe wifdom and pradife herein let us fol;ow. 3. By admitting equal corn penfatin, or lefs than our wrong, for Inch manifefl injuries as we may and ought to right our (elves in , when the gender is willing to make us fatisfatlion. if in our reputation, let's not infift too much upon the pundilo's of honour; if in eflate, upon the ftrid terms of right ; but herein obferve the golden Rule by putting off felf, and putting on thy neighbour, doing to him, as thou wouldeft he fhould do to thee, Matth. 7. 12. Nay in real wrongs of eftate, we fhould in cafe of their incapacity of recompencing, accept for pre - fent, verbali fatisfadion till they be better inabled, and if never , to lofe all rather than by imprifonrnent , or otherwife to bring upon them ( and often theirs alfo) utter defirudion 21/Littb.18. 29, 30. P1ut.Slmi.La.' For the Moralift well Ti (Maw:, ïo-rov, but not Ti Inv Jiv,0' 01', though all f uf}ice be equal, yet all equality is not Jultice, but that which is pro . portioned to perlons. E e c 4. Lafllyà
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