3 74 Doing good, á fechnrity Second thing in theText, the Benefit and Advantage which may reafonably be expe&ed from it, and that is fecurity from the ill ufage and injuries of Men. llcho is be that will harm you, &c. The Apoftle doth not abfolutely fay, None will do it; but he fpeaks of it as a thing fo very unreafonable, and upon all accounts fo unlikely and improbable, that we may reafonably prefume that it will not ordi- narily, and often happen. Not but that good Men are liable to be affronted and perfecuted, and no Man's Virtues, how bright and unblemifhed foever, will at all times, and in all cafes, exempt him from all manner of injury and ill treatment: but thefollowing of that which is good (as I have explained it) Both in its own Nature tend to fecure us from the malice and mifchief of Men, and very fre- quently does it, and, all things confider'd, is a much more effe&uai means to this end, than any other courfe we can take; and this the Apoftle means when he fays, Who is he that will harm you? &ç. And this will appear, whether we confider the nature of Virtue and Goodnefs or the nature of Man, even when it is very much depraved and corrupted ; or the Providence of God. I. If we confider the nature of Virtue andGoodnefs, which is apt togain upon the affections of Men, and fecretly to win their love and efteem. True good- nefs is inwardly efteemed by bad Men, and many times had in very great efteem and admiration, even by thofe who are very far from the practice of it ; it carries an Awe and Majefty with it fo that bad Men are very often with held and re- ftrained from harming the good, bythat fecret and inward Reverence which they bear to goodnefs. There are feveral Virtues, which are apt in their own Nature to prevent injuries and affronts fromothers. Humility takes away all occafion of infolence from the proud and haughty, it baffles pride, and puts it out of countenance. Meeknefs pacifies wrath, and blunts the edge of injury and violence. Suffering good for evil is apt to allay and extinguifh enmity, to fubdue the rougheft difpofitions, and to conquer even malice it felt. And there are otherVirtues which are apt in their own Nature to oblige Men, and gain their good will, and make them our friends, and to tie their affe&ions ftrongly to us; as Courtefie and Charity, Kindnefs and Compaffion, and a readinefs to do all good offices toall Men ; and the friendfhip and good will of others, is a powerful defence againft injuries. Every Man will cry fhame of thofe who {hall fall foul upon him that hurts no body. He that obliged many, fhall have many to take his part when he is alfaulted, to rife up in his defence and refcue, and to interpofe between him and danger. For a good man, fays the Apoftle, fore would even dare to die. Betides it is very confiderablé, that none of there Virtues expofe Msn to any danger and trouble from human Laws. When Chrittianity was perfecuted, caufe it differ'd from, and oppofed the received Religion and Superflition of the World, it was commonly acknowledged by the Heathen (as Tertullian tells us) that the Chriftians were very good men in all other things, faving that they were Chriflians. When the laws weremoft fevere againft Chrifttans for their meetings, which they call'd feditious, and for their refufal to comply with the received fu- perdition of theWotld, which they call'd contempt of the gods, yet there were all this while no Laws made againft Modefty, and Humility, and Meeknefs, and Kindnefs, and Charity, and Peaceablenefs, and Eorgivenefs of Injuries. Thefe Virtues are in their Nature of fo unalterable goodnefs, that they could not pof- fibly be made matter of accufation; no Government ever had the face to make Laws againft them. , And this the Mettle takes notice ofas a fingular comtnon- dation, and great teftimöny to the imin'utable Goodnefs of theft things, that in the experience of all Ages and Nations, there was never any fuch inconvenience found in any of them, as to give occafidn to a .Law 'againft them, Gal. 5.22, 23. But the fiuit of the fpirit is love, joy, peace, log-fisflering, gentlenefs, fidelity, meeknefi, temperance. Againfl limb things there is tyro law. So that goodnefs from its own Nathte hath this fecurity, that it brifiës Men under the dänger of no Law. If
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