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SERMON XXI.

Preached at the Church of St. Peter's Poor, on the publick Fast-day, 1709.

SERM.

XXI.

ACTS vii. latter Part of Ver. 26.

Sirs, ye are Brethren, why do ye Wrong One to

T

Another.

HESE are the Words of Mofes, by which he endeavoured to reconcile two of his Brethren, of the Children of Ifrael, who were quarrelling and striving with one another. This was not the firft Instance he had given them of his Regard to their true and real Intereft; and of his Readiness to do his Nation the greatest Service he was capable of doing: for it was but the Day before that he had defended one of his Brethren against the Insults and Violence of a barbarous Egyptian, and delivered him out of his Hands;

by

by this means giving them a Prefage of that great S ER M. Deliverance which God would, e're long, bring xXI. about by Him. But Mofes, whilst he hoped they would immediately clofe with this friendly Design, and unanimously accept of his Advice and Propofals, met with the common Fate of almost all who pretend either to be Deliverers. of the Oppreffed, or Reconcilers of the contending and quarrelling Parts of Mankind. For the Ifraelites, though they were of the same Nation and Family, linked together by the. Ties of the fame Religion and Profeffion, in-. volved in the fame common Slavery, Fellowfufferers in the fame Barbarities and Cruelties, and furrounded by the fame common Enemies; yet, could not only find Time to abufe, and quarrel with, one another, but affronted and abused their beft Friend and Adviser, only because he perfuaded them to a mutual Love. and Concord; and to avoid those inteftine. Diffenfions and Quarrels which would inevitably weaken their common Interest, and obftruct all Hopes of their future Profperity. Indeed, we do not read that, after he had completed their Deliverance, and was taken from them, there were any amongst them so infenfible of the Benefits he had conferred upon them, as to purfue his Memory with Affronts. and Indignities. Such Ingratitude was referv

SER M. ed for later Times. As to Moses; after His XXI. Death we hear of Nothing but the Celebra

tion of his Praises, the most grateful Acknowledgments imaginable offered at every Remembrance of Him, and all but Divine Honours paid to his Name. But, as I observed, whilft he lived amongst them, they treated him ungratefully upon every Occasion: And here, at the Beginning of his Regard to them, and whilft he was preparing them, by his good Advice, for Freedom and Happiness, the Perfon whom he would have perfuaded to Justice and Peace, instead of thanking him for his good Offices, endeavoured to touch even his Life.

There is fomething in this fo applicable to Ourselves, that I could not but think it proper and feasonable for us to spend some of our ferious Thoughts upon this Expoftulation of Mofes in the Text. We are divided and tor'n to pieces, by our mutual Hatreds, and inteftine Heats, by our fhameful Divifions and unchriftian Tempers: Few amongst Us care to hear of Love and Friendship; but will even revile the Man that but fpeaks to them of Peace: whilft in the mean while all acknowledge that it is the want of this mutual Love, and the Hatred which flourishes in the room of it, to which we fhall owe our common Ru

ine, whenever it comes upon us.

What can sER M.;

one think, but that there must be a fecret In- XXI. fatuation from above, upon the Minds of Men; a fatal Blindness, to which God has given us over, when we fee so much Danger from our own Animofities and Heats, and have not the Heart to confult our own Security; when we read and hear of fo many Nations and Commonwealths, deftroyed and laid wafte by mutual Hatreds and inteftine Quarrels, and yet cherish the fame Evils amongst Ourfelves, which we are fenfible have haftened the Ruine of fo many Nations before us? In thefe deplorable Circumftances no good Man, who has the leaft Concern for the common Welfare, can hinder his Thoughts from running out upon all the poffible Methods of putting a stop to this growing Evil, and preventing the fatal and natural Confequences of

it.

!

In fpeaking upon this Subject it is not my Defign, at prefent, to obferve what Advances might be made towards accommodating our Differences, by Perfons in the highest Stations for I am fenfible to how little purpose that might be, at this Time, and in this Place. But I fhall endeavour to offer fuch Obfervations and Confiderations as concern every private Chriftian, and come within the reach of every Ff 4 Member

SER M. Member of the Commonwealth, and that in XXI. this following Method.

First, I fhall fhew what is the Duty of every Chriftian in thofe Differences, which thus diftract Us.

Secondly, What are the great Hindrances to that Brotherly Love, and mutual Friendship and Agreement, which are so very neceffary. And,

Thirdly, I fhall urge the great and weighty Motives we have, at this Time, to pursue Peace, and Union, amongst Ourselves.

I. Let us examine what is the Duty of every Chriftian in thofe Differences which thus And this I think may be comprehended in two Particulars ;

diftract us.

First, It is the Part of every good Man to endeavour, by all the Methods of Christianity, to reconcile the contending Parties in the World; and, in the Spirit of Meeknefs, to convince the Judgments of those whom he imagines to be in any material Error. No Peace or Union can be fo lafting, as that which is the Confequence of Men's being of one Mind, and of one Heart; of the fame Opinions, and of the fame Sentiments, in Matters of any Concern. There is fomething in Human Nature which

is