The Duty of living peaceably explained and recommended;

IN A

Farewel SERMON

Preached at

St. BRIDES,

Dec. 11, 1698.

319

Of living peaceably.

A

Farewel SERMON

Preached at

St. BRIDES,

Dec. 11, 1698.

ROM. xii. 18.

If it be poffible, as much as lyeth in you, live peaceably with all Men.

HERE are many excellent SERM.
Precepts and Rules of Du- XII.
laid together by the A
poftle toward the End of this

ty

Chapter; but none of greater Moment

to

SERM. to be earneftly inculcated upon ChriXII. ftians, and duly observed, than this which I have pitched upon for the Subject of my following Difcourfe. And I have the rather chose it, at this particular Time, because it is the last Opportunity I fhall have of bespeaking you under that Character which I have hitherto born towards you. And it being likely therefore that the Contest now on foot, may end in the same little Animofities and Misunderstandings which are usual on fuch Occasions, I thought I could not do better, than to discourse to you upon a Subject that might be of fome Ufe to temper and allay them; and to difpofe you towards fuch a peaceable State of Mind, as becomes thofe, who are about to chuse a Minister of the Gospel of Peace.

I fhall difcourfe first to you of the Argument at large, and then apply it to the particular Occafion for which I have chosen it. What I have to say on

these

these Words muft naturally fall under SER M. thefe four Heads following.

I. Here is a Command enjoined, to live peaceably.

II. The utmoft Limits and Extent of
that Command are fet down; we
must live peaceably with all Men.
III. The great Difficulty of fo doing,
is allowed and expressed, if it be
poffible, fays St. Paul, and as much
as in you lyes; intimating, that in
respect of fome Tempers, and in
fome Circumstances, it is fcarce
poffible, though we do all that in
us lyes, to effect it. To which I
fhall add in the

IV. Fourth and laft Place, fome fa-
miliar Helps and Directions that
may be of Use to affift us towards
performing it.

I. As to the first of thefe, the Precept here given of living peaceably, I need not use many Words to tell you Y what

XII.