unto them, and they will be thy servants for ever." (1 Kings xii. 7) As moderation is by grave and prudent men observed to be the preservative of power; so Cato in Plutarch, and Julius Cæsar in that excellent oration which he made unto the senate in Dion: so certainly it is a special means for the right administration of it. Therefore the Lord chose Moses, the 'meekest man alive,' for the government of his peculiar people. (Num. xii. 3) And of Christ the Prince of Peace it is said, that "he would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax ;" (Matth. xii. 22) as he saith of himself, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly." (Matth. xi. 29) And the apostle beseecheth the Corinthians by the 'meekness and gentleness of Christ.' (2 Cor. x. 1) So the same apostle expresseth his tenderness towards the church, by the affections, sometimes, of a father; (1 Cor. iv. 15) sometimes, of a mother; (Gal. iv. 19) sometimes, of a nurse. (1 Thess. ii. 7) He calleth upon Timothy, " in meekness to instruct those that oppose themselves, because the servant of the Lord must be gentle to all men;" (2 Tim. ii. 24, 25) and upon Titus, "to show all meekness to all men." (Tit. iii. 2) Rulers are called 'healers.' (Isa. iii. 7) And "a physician," saith Plutarch," will, if it may be, cure the disease of his patient rather by sleep and diet, than by strong purges."-Grave writers have observed, that, even in the avenging of conquered enemies, moderation is advantageous to the conqueror. He," saith Thucydides, "who is kind to an enemy, provideth for his own safety:" and surely it caunot but be useful for healing distempers, amongst a long dilacerated and discomposed people, "ut quod belli calamitas introduxit, hoc pacis lenitas sopiret," to use the words of Justinian the emperor. A course observed with rare clemency by our most meek and gracious Sovereign, in the 'Act of general pardon and indemnity' towards his people.

I do often sadly recount with myself the woful distractions, which are in this once flourishing church, occasioned by the wantonness of some, and subtilty of others; and can scarce arrive at any other expedient than Abraham's 'Jehovah Jireh.' (Gen. xxii. 14) 1 do not need at all, neither shall I at all presume to bespeak, the reverend governors of the church, in this case of moderation, in any other way than the apostle doth the Thessalonians in the case of brotherly love.

As touching moderation, "Ye need not that I write unto you; for you yourselves are taught of God to show all meekness to all men, and to restore those that are overtaken in a fault, with the spirit of meekness, and indeed you do it."One thing I assure myself would greatly conduce to the healing of our divisions, and reducing of many unto the communion of the church who have departed from it,—If all the other ministers of the gospel, in their respective places, would every where preach the word with that soundness, evidence, and authority, and so commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God; reproving sin not with passion, wrath, and animosity, but with the spirit of meekness, and by the majesty and authority of the word; (which alone can convince and awe the conscience) would lead such holy, peaceable, and inoffensive lives; would treat all ment with that prudence, meekness, and winning converse, that all who see and hear them, may know that God is in them of a truth; that they do indeed love the people's souls; and so faithfully discharge their trust, as those that do, in good earnest, resolve to save themselves and those that hear them. Thus are all the interests of a Christian church by all the officers therein, to be managed and preserved with that 'wisdom which is from above;' which (St. James tells us) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good works, without partiality, and without hypocrisy, whereby the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that seek peace."

3. Moderation of passion; when we suffer not our passions to anticipate right reason, or run beyond the dictates of practical judgement; when they fly not out beyond their due measure, nor transport us unto any indecency or excess; when they do not, like a troubled sea, cast up mire and dirt; but are like the shaking of clean water in a crystal glass, which only troubleth it, but doth not defile it. For this purpose, we must keep sanctified reason always in the throne. The higher and more heavenly the soul is, the more sedate and calm it will be; "Inferiora fulminant pacem summa tenent." We must get the heart balanced with such graces as may, in special manner, establish it against perturbation of passion, with clearness of reason, serenity of judgement, strength of wisdom, sobriety and gentleness of spirit,

humility and lowliness of mind, (for ever the more proud, the more passionate) with self-denial: for all impotency of affections is rooted in an inordinate self-love. This will transport a man to furious anger, to insatiable desires, to excessive delights, to discruciating fears, to impatient hopes, to tormenting sorrows, to gnawing emulations, to overwhelming despairs. The heart,' saith the apostle, is established

by grace.' (Heb. xiii. 9)

We have thus largely considered the duty here required, which the apostle would further have to be "such a moderation, as becometh them as Christians." And therefore the precept is closed in on all sides of the text with certain peculiarities of Christians, rejoicing in the Lord; verse 4. And what can befal a man to shake and discompose his heart, who hath a Lord always to rejoice in? Nearness of that Lord; the Lord is at hand.' And what is there in all the world, the beauty whereof can bewitch with inordinate love, the evil whereof can tempt to immoderate fears, the heart which can, by faith, see Christ coming quickly with a far more exceeding and abundant weight of glory ?-An access in prayer and supplication unto the throne of grace, v. 6. And what evils can disquiet the heart of that man with anxious, excessive, and discruciating cares, who hath the bosom of a Father in heaven to pour out his requests into?-Lastly, the peace of God which passeth all understanding; and what perturbations are able to storm such a soul as is garrisoned with divine peace? There is a mere philosophical moderation, quæ mimice affectat veritatem," as Tertullian speaks. But Christian moderation is that which is founded in the law of Christ; which requireth us not to resist evil, to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, to do good unto those that hate us, to recompense to no man evil for evil, to weep as though we wept not, and to rejoice as though we rejoiced not.' is founded in the love of Christ: the sense and comfort whereof balanceth the soul against the assault of any other perturbations. It is regulated by the example of Christ; of whom we learn to be meek and lowly, to forbear and to forgive; who when he was reviled, reviled not again; who prayed for his persecutors, and saved them by that blood which their own hands had shed. It is wrought by the Spirit of Christ; the fruits whereof are "love, joy, peace, long-suf

It

fering, gentleness, goodness, meekness," as the apostle speaks. It is ordered to the glory of Christ, and honour of Christianity, when, by our moderation, we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, "being blameless, and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, shining as lights in the world."

For this end it is, that the apostle requireth this moderation of theirs "to be known," not as the philosophers and heathen showed their virtues for vain-glory, ostentation, and interest, as "Gloria animalia, et negociatores famæ," as Tertullian calls them; but that others, "seeing our good works, may glorify God in the day of visitation." For if they who profess obedience to the rule of Christ in the gospel, live dissonantly from the prescripts of that rule; they do not only harden wicked men in their sins, but expose the name of God and his doctrine unto reproach: as the apostle teacheth, Rom. ii. 23, 24. 1 Tim. vi. 1: as Nathan told David, that, by his sin, he had caused the enemies of God to blaspheme.' (2 Sam. xii. 14) So perverse and illogical is malice, as to charge those sins, which are aberrations from the doctrine of Christianity, upon the doctrine itself, as genuine products and consequences thereof. The moralist hath observed, that the antient Grecians called a man para that is, light; teaching him so to live as to be a light unto others. Sure I am, the apostle hath told us, that though we were, by nature, darkness, yet we are light in the Lord;' and therefore should walk as children of light,' and shine as lights in the world.' (Eph. v. 8. Phil. ii. 5)

Lastly; As it must be known,' so universally known ' unto all men.' It must be without hypocrisy; not attempered to interests and designs, like the devotion of the Pharisees, who, for a pretence, made long prayers; like the civilities of Absalom and Otho, of whom the historian saith, that he did " adorare vulgum, jacere oscula, et omnia serviliter pro dominatione." It must be without partiality, not varied or diversified according to the differences of persons, with whom we have to do. "We Christians," saith Tertullian, "Nullum bonum sub exceptione personarum administramus." It must be known to our brethren, that they may be edified. It must be known to our enemies, that their prejudices may be removed, their mouths stopped, their hostilities abated, and their hearts mollified and persuaded to

entertain more just and honourable thoughts of those precepts of the gospel, by which our conversations are directed.

Many and weighty are the arguments, which might be used to persuade all sober, pious, and prudent Christians unto the practice of this most excellent grace. They may be drawn from our great exemplar and pattern; whom though we find once with a curse against a barren fig-tree, once with a scourge against profaners of his Father's house, once with woes against malicious and incorrigible Scribes and Pharisees, yet generally all his sermons were blessings; all his miracles, mercies; all his conversation meek, lowly, humble, gentle; not suited so much to the greatness and dignity of his divine person, as the economy of his office, wherein he "made himself of no reputation, but took upon him the form of a servant."

From a principal character of a disciple of Christ, humility and self-denial; which teacheth us not only to moderate, but to abandon our own judgements, wills, passions, interests, whenever they stand in competition with the glory of Christ, and welfare of his church, which maketh "the same mind be in us which was in Christ Jesus; to look not every man on his own things, but every man on the things of others." From the credit and honour of Christianity, which is greatly beautified by the meekness and moderation of those that profess it. Hereby we walk worthy of our calling; or as those who make it their work to show forth the worth and dignity of the Christian profession, when we walk in lowliness, meekness, long-suffering, unity, and love.' (Eph. iv. 1, 2,3) As the splendour of a prince's court is set forth by the robes and fine raiments of their servants, (Matth. xi. 8) so the servants of Christ show forth the honour and excellency of their Lord, by being 'clothed with humility,' (1 Pet. v. 5) and decked with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.' (1 Pet. iii. 4)

From the breaches, divisions, and discomposures, which are at any time in the church or state: towards the healing of which distempers, moderation, meekness, and humility, do exceedingly conduce. Though sharp things are used to search wounds, yet balm and lenitives are the medicines that

a 2 Sam. xiii, 18.