Rules of peace 6etwean man and man. honourable, this would be a mighty furtherance to peace, be- leeve it,it is fo : I t is a great part of the honor of God to begin to be reconciled to us, io faith the Scripture,God wa?. in Chrtf6 reconciling the ,world unto himfelfe, he was in Chrift, yea he was from all eternityin Chrift: Alas, if God had not begun with pus we should have flood out with him CO all eternity: Mankind would have been an enemy to God eternally, if Cod had nór begun with him to be reconcil'd firfl, now is it the honour of God to begin with us poorecreatures, and is it not the honour of his creature,, to begin with his fellow - creature, thou fayel, Let him come to nie and yeeld to me, I am his better, or he bath done me the wrong, and the inferiour ought to yeeld; if God had flood out with you upon thefe termes, and had Paid set the creature yeeld, which is the inferiour, and any crea- ture that bath been unjuft, and done me wrong, and what would become of you ? V4 ell, would you be call d the child of God, then be ruch a peace -maker as God is,begin the work of reconciliation fink: If another doth begin, you have loft the honour of ir, and loft a great part of the reward of ir, it's no thanks when another begins to be at peace, that then you come in : My bafe fpirit canbe brought to that, but if you for peace fake can yeeld to an inferiour, and feek itfirft: O this is honourable in the eyes of God, and in the eyes ofman:that s a fourth rule. Fifthly , Look to breaches betimes, when there is any breach between you and another, its a general rule that con- erns States, 'hurches, Neighbours, Fariilyes ; where . there is any breach, begin to flop the breach betimes, let it notgo far before you come in with help againft it : Contention and ftrife is compared in Scripture to the breach of waters, and where there isa breach of waters,'tis not to Rand and look up- on ir, andfay, hereafter I will flop it, but it concerns thee to flop it prefently, you know not what the end of it may be :. Very great breaches doe come often with, very little begin -, nings, and a little at the firfl, would be á means to help very great evils, that afterwards great means will not help: That's a further rule of peace. 0 o o Sixth'ly,
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