SERMON XXVIII, 8S5 thesufferer from being pressed to death. Whenhe sees oppres. sien and violence practised among his neighbours, the justice of his soul directs him to take the part of the injured person, and his own moderation and goodness inclines him to do it in such a manner, as may calm and suppress the resentmentof the oppres- sed, and soften and melt the oppressor into compliance with the rules of justice. Thus he reconciles them both, without giving offence to either. When any sects of christians seem to be carried away with the furious torrent ofsomeprevailing notions, or some unneces- sary practices, some special superstition, or a contentious spirit, the moderate man tries to spew how much of truth and goodness may be found amongst eachparty, where all agree to hold Christ Jesus the head ; though he dares not renounce agrain oftruth or necessary duty, for the sake of peace,. and he would contend earnestly, where providence calls him, for the essential articles of faith whichwere once delivered to the saints; for he knows the wisdom that is from above is first pure, and then peaceable ; James iii. 17. Yet he takes this occasion to prove that some truths or some practices, are articles of less importance to the christian life ; that they are not worthy of such unchristian. quarrels ; and thus he attempts, as far as possible, to reconcile the angry disputers. Sometimes he has the happiness to shew them both that they fight in the dark ; he explains their opinions and their contests, and puts the best sense upon both of them : And when he hath brought them into the light, he makes it appear that they are friends and brethren ; and that religion and the gospel are safe on both sides, if they would dwell together without fighting, but that it is sorely endangered bytheir battles. So St. Paul dealt with the Jewish and gentile christians, and assured them that they both belonged to the kingdom of God, and the church ofChrist, though they quarrelled about flesh, and herbs, and holy -days. How lovely, how glorious, how desirable issuch a character as this ! I confess when a party-spirit runs high among the different sects of religion, or the diffèrent divisions of mankind, this most amiable virtue is called by the scandalous names of indifferency, and lukewarmness, and trimming ; and it sustains a world of reproaches from both the quarrelling parties. Moderation, though it is theblessed principle, which awakens and assists men to become peace-makers, yet at the same time when it enters into the battle to divide the contenders, it receives an unkind stroke fromeither side. This the reconciler expects, and he bears it for the sake ofunion and love. Themoderate man in cases of private property or interest, C. C 2
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