3. Peaceableness is another thing requir'd to this end: This is a Virtue near a kin to, and proceeding from, the former; for Meeknefs and Gentleness of Spirit naturally leads to Peace, and the fubduing of the Paffions conduceth much, not only to the inward Quiet of our own Minds, but to the living peaceably with one another. And because the Safety of Mens Lives and Perfons depends very much upon the Practice of this Virtue, the Apostle in fundry places earneftly exhorts to it, as a good Means to preferve them : If it be poffible (faith he) as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all Men, Rom. 12. 18. And elsewhere, Follow Peace with all Men, without which no Man fhall fee the Lord. This quiet and peaceable Difpofition tends to prevent thofe Quarrels that moleft the World, and prove fo fatal to Mankind, and is therefore a great Guard and Security to Mens Lives. There is, indeed, in fome Men a certain Peevifhnefs and Perverfenefs of Spirit, that makes them delight in Brawls and Contention; they take a fecret pleasure in raifing Commotions in the State, Contentions in Families, and Differences among Neighbours; which have many times a very bad Influence upon the whole, and end in Slaughter and Destruction. Such turbulent and unquiet Spirits are the Pefts and Troublers of the World, that plague the Neighbourhood where they live, and involve Countries in Blood and Confufion; yea, such Incendiaries as thefe are the very Imps of Satan, and do the Works of the Devil, who was a Murderer from the Beginning, and the Father of them.

Now to prevent thefe Evils, we are to root out of our Minds all Inclinations to Difcord and Contention, and labour for fuch a fedate and peaceable Frame of Spirit, as may difpofe us to love and live eafily by one another. This, Reafon, as well as Religion, teaches us; and being neceffary to the prefervation and comfort of each other's Lives, must be look'd upon as requir'd in this Command

ment.

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4. Another Duty enjoin'd by this Precept, is that of Charity and giving of Alms which is fo neceffary to the fupport and luftaining of Life in cafes of want, that many without relief would perifh and fink under them: and therefore we find many ftrict Injunctions to this excellent Virtue; Give Alms of such things as ye poffefs, Luke 11. 41. Above all things put on Charity, which is the Bond of Perfectness, Col. 3. 14. Now Charity relates both to the Souls

and

and Bodies of our Neighbours, both which are neceffary to the Support and Comfort of human Life; and because the Wants and Neceffities of Mankind are various, the Acts of Charity must be fo too. As,

(1.) To feed the Hungry, and to afford them at least so much of Suftenance, as to keep them from Starving.

(2.) To give drink to the Thirfty, that they may not pine away with Drought, or perifh for lack of Moisture.

(3.) To clothe the Naked, to keep them from the Injuries of the Weather, and to preferve them from the fatal Evils of Cold and Nakedness.

(4.) To entertain Strangers, that they may not be left harbourless, or perish for want of neceffary and convenient Reception.

(5.) To redeem Captives, and to fuccour and enlarge Prifoners, that they may not languifh under the Preffures of Durance and Captivity.

(6.) To vifit the Sick, to affift them with our Counsel and our Prayers, and to do all other good Offices as their Neceffities fhall require.

Laftly, To find Imployment for mean and indigent Perfons, who are to live by their Labour, and to affist them in placing out their Children in honeft Trades and Callings: These, and the like Acts of Charity, are fo neceffary to the preferving of human Life here, and the procuring of eternal Life hereafter, that we are to look upon them as enjoin'd in this Commandment.

How much these things conduce to the preferving of human Life, is obvious to any that confiders the feveral Wants and Neceffities of Mankind; for how many would starve with Hunger, and perifh with Thirst, if not reliev'd by thefe Acts of Charity? How many would die with Cold and Nakedness, if not cloth'd and arm'd against them? Would not fome be left harbourless, and perifh for lack of Neceffaries, if they were not receiv'd into Houfes, and fupported under fome unavoidable Accidents? How many would languifh under hard Bondage, and pine away in Prifons and Durance, if they were not fuccour'd under thofe Calamities? What would become of the Lives and Families of many Perfons, if they were not employ'd and af fifted in their Labours by thofe that are inabled to do it? In a word,

To perform thefe Acts and Offices of Charity, is in the Scripture-fenfe to fave Life; and to neglect them, is to lofe

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and deftroy it: the things requir'd and forbidden in this Commandment.

But I may not pass over this weighty Duty, without advifing and ftirring up to the Practice of it. To which end, confider,

(1.) That as there is no one Precept more prefs'd and recommended to us, than this of Charity; fo there is none wherein our Saviour hath fet forth himself as a higher Example: for he went up and down doing good, both to the Souls and Bodies of Men, and would have his Followers imitate him in nothing more than in the Acts of Mercy and Charity.

(2.) The Principles of Nature and Reafon prompt us to be helpful to one another: for God has planted in us a Love to Mankind, and plac'd us in a mutual need and dependence on each other: fo that every one may take their turns of asking and receiving another's Bounty; and to withhold it in Cafes of Neceffity, is Barbarous and Inhuman.

(3.) The Principles of Gratitude exact this from us, to communicate to each others Neceffities; for 'tis from the Divine Bounty that we receive all we have, and Gratitude requires fome Returns to be made to the Owner and Beftower of it: And because our Goodness extendeth not to him, he hath order'd it to be paid to fuch as need our Affiftance, whom he has made his Proxies and Receivers. To which we may add,

(4) That 'tis a noble and divine thing to preferve Life, and to refcue the Poor from Mifery; for this is to resemble God in Acts of Bounty and Beneficence to his Creatures, and to co-operate with our Maker in faving the Life he gives them.

Laftly, Thefe Acts of Charity will redound to our temporal and eternal Advantages; for God is wont to multiply his Bleffings here on fuch as exercise them, and will not fail to crown them with far greater Bleffings hereafter. He that giveth a Cup of cold Water to a needy Difciple, fhall grot miss of a Reward; for Chrift reckons that to be done to him, which is done to his poor Members. And Solomon tells us, That all we give this way is lent to the Lord, and will be furely repaid with Interest. In fhort,

The Works of Mercy and Charity will be the great things enquir'd into at the last Day, and all Men fhall receive their doom, according as they fhall be found to have practis'd

471 practis'd or neglected them. The Sentence of Abfolution is, Come ye Blefjed, for I was Hungry, and ye gave me Meat, &c. the Sentence of Condemnation, Go ye Curfed, for I was Thirsty, and ye gave me no Drink, &c. So that they who have fupported the Lives of others, fhall fave their own; and they who have neglected it, fhall lofe them: for Such shall have Fudgment without Mercy, who have shew'd no Mercy.

5. The laft, tho none of the leaft Virtues tending to the preservation of human Life, is the forgiving of Injuries, or being eafily reconcil'd to thofe that do them. This is a Duty frequently urg'd and inculcated upon us in Holy Scripture. Recompenfe to no Man Evil for Evil: Dearly beloved, avenge not your felves, for Vengeance is mine, I will repay, faith the Lord, Rom. 12. 17, 19. Put on as the Elect of God, Bowels of Compaffion, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another: if any Man have a quarrelagainst any, even as Chrift forgave you, fo alfo do ye, Col. 3. 13. All which, will us not to be eafily mov'd or enflam'd at every Provocation, but to pafs by leffer Trefpaffes and Of fences: Not that we are to pafs by all Injuries or Indignities without any reparation, for this would make us a Butt for every one to fhoot at, and inftead of removing, would encourage Men to multiply Wrongs and Infolencies; but that we may not avenge ourselves, or go about to repair Injuries with our own Hands, for that occafions Duels and Slaughter, and is a Shedder of much Blood. To prevent which, we are to forgive fmall Matters and redress greater by a legal Reparation: This is to render unto God the things that are God's, by leaving Vengeance to him to whom it belongs, and is many times a better way of repairing Injuries than revenging them.

How much this tends to the Quiet and Preservation of Mens Lives, is obvious to any that confiders how many Quarrels and Differences are hereby prevented, and how it preferves from all the difquieting Evils and Dangers of Revenge; for which reafon, Solomon declares it to be not only the Safety, but the Glory of a Man to pass by an Offence.

Thus we fee fhedding of Blood to be the great Sin prohibited in this Law, which is fo heinous an Evil in God's fight, that he declares he will not only demand the Life of Man at the hands of Men, but of Beafts too; Gen. 9. 5. For if an Ox gor'd a Man that he died, the Ox itself was

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to be fain, and the Flesh thereof to be caft away as an Abomination; Exod. 21. 28, 29. which fhould ftir up in us a juft Abhorrence of this vile and deteftable Crime.

And as we are to abstain from all the degrees and occafions of Murder, fo are we to ufe all good Means for the preserving our own Lives, and the Lives of others.

H

DISCOURSE XVI.

EXOD. XX. 14.

榮榮

Thou shalt not commit Adultery.

AVING fhew'd the great care taken in the Sixth Commandment for the Security of Mens Lives, I proceed now to the Seventh, which helps to fecure them in the quiet poffeffion and enjoyment of their Wives. The former confiders them in a fingle Capacity, and provides for the fafety of their Perfons from all kind of Violence: the latter in a double and conjugal State, and keeps them from the Violation of the Bonds of Wediock. This is contain'd in these words, Thou shalt not commit Adultery.

This Precept being likewife Negative, I am to fhew,

First, What is forbidden; and next, what is requir'd in it. For the

First, The thing prohibited in this Precept is all manner of Uncleannefs and fiefhly Lufts, together with all the Occafions, Temptations and Tendencies thereunto; and becaufe Adultery is the worft or fouleft of all fleshly Lufts, 'tis therefore mention'd in the first place, and is here fet to fignify all the reft. Now by Adultery here we are to understand,

1. And chiefly, The Incontinence of marry'd Perfons, or the Violation of the Bond of Wedlock; and this committed when either or both of the Parties (as it too often happens) break thofe mutual Engagements and Endearments that are peculiar to that State, and defile themselves with trange Flesh. He that attempts the Affection or Chastity

of